MIKE'S MERCHANDISE

All I've ever known is working with my dad." says Mike Jones of Mike's Merchandise in Guntersville, Alabama. For the past years, he and his dad have worked together, first in the family machine shop business, and in the surplus store that became a travel destination for savvy shoppers from all across the South. "The '80's were the hard years for business people," Mike's father Ray states with a sad shake of his head. "Mom and Pop hardware business and machine shops and all sorts of other businesses were going under, right and left." The economy that hurt so many people was the catalyst that started the enterprise that today has become one of Guntersville's most well shopped and well-known businesses. When the Monsanto plant near Guntersville closed in the early 80', the loss of their business put a huge dent in Ray Jones' small machine shop business. He and his son Mike, who Ray was training in the business, decided to reduce their inventory and see if they could continue to struggle..

Primary location: Guntersville United States