Since the day I was born I saw my father in business for himself. I always admired his abilities to serve his customers and serve his family in the process.
I started watching him in Zion, Illinois with his dealership “Coker Motors” in the early 1970’s. After time progressed, he moved back to Smithville, MS. where he started Coker’s Han-D-Mart in 1975. It started out as a 3-day service station and was turned into a convenience store approximately 3 years later. Many hours were spent here learning the business and how to manage a company. We were blessed to grow that business into 4 separate locations operating at once.
Some years later we started Smithville Feed and Seed which later evolved into “Coker’s Furniture and Appliances.”
Although I was too young to work at the dealership, I obtained many years’ experience in the convenience stores and furniture store as well.
When the EF5 Tornado devastated our town and killed 16, the landscape and economy of our town changed drastically. We choose to sell after 40 years of dedicated service in December 2014
May 2015 saw us introduced to the downtown area of Baldwyn. After meeting with Chamber Director, Lori Tucker and Mayor, Michael James we were encouraged to attend the first County Line Festival and have a closer look into the Baldwyn business landscape. Needless to say, in a short amount of time, we were “hooked” and purchased “All Star Sporting Goods”. We rebranded the store as “The New Stitch” and began expanding the offerings of the business, reaching an even larger clientele with a wider array of offerings.
Investing in Baldwyn has been an awesome opportunity. The people as well as the leadership of the City of Baldwyn, the Baldwyn School District, and FMBank has been nothing short of amazing. We treasure all of the relationships we have made since opening our doors in May of 2015.
Our personal commitment is a phrase I hold dear to my heart.
It says, “I don’t want to be the biggest ship in the harbor, I want to be the TIDE that raises all the ships.”
Our professional commitment simply says, “Work done the old-fashioned way…with pride.”
I pray we have fulfilled our personal and professional commitment to this wonderful community! We love each and every one of you.
For information on becoming a member of the Baldwyn Main Street Chamber, call 662-365-1050.
