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Davis retires after 32 years in hardware
"I started here doing the same thing I'm doing today, selling building materials," he said. Actually, Davis, who is now vice president of Dozier Hardware started out with a rag in his hand. "My first day, Mr. Andrews gave me a rag and told me to start over there (motioning to a corner of the store) and touch everything in the store with it, and I did." There were no adding machines in the store and no chairs. "The unspoken message was, you're here to work," Davis said. "It was quite different 32 years ago," he said. "We had about 1/3 to1/4 the display space we have now, and there's been a lot of changes along the highway in that time too." "When I started, we had a little bit of everything, we sold appliances, cookware, small kitchen appliances, just everything you needed out in a rural area, of course, we're not as rural as we used to be." He came to work at Dozier from Sweet Water Gin, joining his long-time friend, Gerald Corgill. "Gerald's been a big part of my life." A native of Sweet Water, Davis worked at the skating rink in Thomasville during his teen years. "The people of Clarke County and Thomasville were not strangers to me when I came to work at Dozier," he said. "I was able to renew a lot of those friendships when I came here." Dozier grew with Thomasville and the surrounding area, and the building materials sold from the store have been a lasting part of that growth. "I know we've contributed quite a bit to it," Davis said. "There's a certain satisfaction knowing that Dozier Hardware has been a part of that growth." Davis said one of his satisfactions is working with the people who've been employed at Dozier over the years and the customers he's come to know. "We've had some really great people working here, some have retired and a new cast has come on, and they've been great too. I've enjoyed helping people over the years, and we've always stressed giving good customer service." Davis said he is not ready for the rocking chair just yet, but he is looking forward to getting to work on some of his own projects around the house and "Lord knows what my wife has planned for me." It won't be all work and no play for Davis, though, he has nine grandchildren living within walking distance of his home in Sweet Water, and he said he plans to spend more time with his family.
"It's quite different from what it used to be, but the people of this region are some of the best, and I think it's one of the best places you could live. I'd also like to thank all of my customers, they've been a joy to serve over the years."
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