Turner’s Furniture turns 100

ALBANY — For anything to withstand the test of time for 100 years is an accomplishment, but for a family business in Southwest Georgia its cause for a celebration.

For the past 100 years the Turner family has been handling the furniture needs of countless area residents through it’s multiple Turner’s Furniture stores across southwest Georgia.

According to business co-owner Austin Turner, who along with this brother Fortson Tuner is part of the fourth generation of the Turner family to direct the store, the reason for the company’s longevity and prosperity is the values that have been passed down through the family since M.W. Tuner Sr. opened a hardware store in Pelham in 1915.

“I think the reason we’ve had success is because of the philosophy of the family,” said Austin Turner. “It’s really that we do the right thing in how we treat people. We’re always making sure we take care of the customer. That’s something that was instilled in us as we came up through the business.”

That customer connection has been a part of the Turner family business through it’s evolution from that hardware store in Pelham, through its expansion into the furniture business during World War II and on through its growth to other communities on its way to having 10 locations in six different communities.

The company’s first expansion into a different city occurred in 1940 when Turner’s opened a location in Cairo. That location eventually moved to Bainbridge, but not before making its mark on that community.

Expansion happened again in 1959 when the Turners, at this point M.W. Turner Sr. and M.W. Turner Jr., opened a location in downtown Tifton. Shortly after that, M.W. Turner III, who goes by Wright Turner, joined the family business as manager of the Tifton location, as did his brother Scott, who went to work in Pelham. Then in 1976 the family opened Turner’s Fine Furniture in Valdosta.

Brothers Fortson and Austin Turner eventually joined in the family business in 1988 and 1990, respectively. The year 1990 also marked the year that the business slightly altered the brand name, minimizing the “fine” in Turner’s Fine Furniture to avoid the perception that the stores carried only high-end and expensive furniture.

That decision led to the 1991 opening of the family’s first Turner’s Budget Furniture in Valdosta, which carried lower priced furniture from different manufacturers than those found in Turner’s Fine Furniture. Due to the success of that location, the company opened Turner’s Budget Furniture locations in Albany, Tifton, Moultrie, Beachton and Tallahassee, Fla.

Although they had been an integral part of the business for many years, Wright Turner made the formal decision to turn the company over to Fortson, Austin and Scott Turner in 1998. In 2006 Scott Turner left the company to persue a career in real estate, leaving Fortson and Austin Turner with sole ownership in the company, which they maintain today.

While Austin Turner says he and his brother fully enjoy being a part of the company, the fact that they are carrying on a long family legacy is something they think about often.

“It feels special,” said Austin Turner. “We’ve got some big shoes to fill. It’s something that we don’t take lightly. And it’s a fun challenge. It’s neat when customers say ‘my grandfather used to do business with your grandfather down in Pelham,’ and things like that. That loyalty was built by the relationships they had with their customers. We want to continue those relationships.”

Fortson Turner concurs with his brother, saying that he feels their forebears would be pleased to see the way the company is still being managed and the type of relationship the stores have with the communities in which they operate.

“Our great-grandfather would be very proud of the way Turner’s operates today,” said Fortson Turner via a statement. “We are grateful to our loyal customers and communities for allowing us to grow and expand for the past 100 years.”

To recognize the 100 years of business, the Turners plan several promotions to give away $100,000 in free furniture and plan to donate $100,000 to qualified local charities.

“We didn’t really want to do anything (like have a party),” said Austin Turner. “We chose to funnel that money to the charities our customers choose to support rather than throw a big event. The community has always supported us, and we want to support the community.”