Williams Furniture Company Has New Owner

McKENZIE — Williams Furniture Company, 26 Broadway Street, in downtown McKenzie has sold the furniture store in downtown McKenzie to Tony Prince, owner of Premier Furniture and Bedding in Union City and Jackson. He assumes ownership on November 1.

Phil Williams is retiring after 46 years in McKenzie. The family-owned store has conducted a going out of business sale for seven months and sold most of his inventory.

Premier carries many of the same brand names, such as Vaughn Bassett, Catnapper, Ashley, and Temperpedic. Premier has operated since the year 2006.

Williams said he welcomes Premier to McKenzie. The new owners will have to replenish the inventory and be ready for the holiday season, said Williams.

“It’s been a wonderful adventure,” said Williams, as he praised his many customers, friends, and associates through the years. “It’s time to slow down,” said the long-term, hands-on, owner, who has taken but a rare vacation.

He came to McKenzie when J.A. Abernathy’s furniture and House of Furniture were in their waning days. Tri-County Furniture was still going strong - all in downtown. Today, Williams Furniture is the lone home-owned furniture store with one corporate store in the former Fred’s building.

Williams Furniture started in Williams’ hometown of McLemoresville and expanded to McKenzie in what is now the Prater’s Taters building on Broadway. He soon outgrew that building and moved to the vacant ‘bowling alley’ building, where BR Supply is located on Highland Drive. He took the opportunity to move back to downtown in the former House of Furniture and Holladay Furniture buildings on Broadway. At one time, he also expanded to Camden, but decided to concentrate on a single store in McKenzie instead of having various retail locations.

Williams said he has worked since graduating high school at Trezevant. He worked for Gaines Manufacturing during the summer months of high school and started full-time as a furniture salesman for H&C Table Company.

Through the years, Williams in McKenzie sold appliances, VCRs, swimming pools, hot tubs, and lots of household and office furniture. Now, his product line is limited to brand name household furniture. He has warehouses on Banner Row, Lee Street, and Broadway.

While many bigger furniture sales floors are simply showrooms with no inventory, Williams’ edge was having the furniture available for delivery on the day of purchase.

Eleven associates are employed at Williams Furniture.

Besides operating the furniture store, Phil has served in city government for the City of McLemoresville. Serving since 1972, Williams served the first four years as a councilman and the last 48 years as mayor. He is the long-serving mayor in Tennessee.