Brothers appreciate ups, withstand downs of small business ownership
TERESA MULLINS / Staff Writer
HAYSI — A visit to Fuller Store in Haysi is almost like a step back in time, when local department stores contained a vast array of goods and the opportunity to chat with friends and neighbors.
Aisles in the two-story building that stands beside the Russell Fork River at the far end of Haysi are tightly stocked with a myriad of items. Shoppers can find goods ranging from plumbing, electrical, hunting and fishing supplies to toys and dainty women’s handkerchiefs.
At the heart of the operation are two brothers who have shared ownership of the business for nearly 40 years. Roger Fuller, the oldest brother by around three years, is a robust man with a booming voice and a hearty laugh. Harold Fuller shares his brother’s quick sense of humor.
The brothers bought the business in 1969, while the United States was in the midst of the Vietnam War. Both brothers were drafted during the war, although neither actually served in the Vietnam theatre.
Roger was drafted in November of 1965. His company was called to serve in the eight-day war of Lebanon, but a cease-fire was called just before his unit deployed. Roger came home in November of 1967, just a couple of months before Harold was drafted. He was in service when Martin Luther King Jr. was shot.
Roger’s career in the store business goes back to his youth. He had worked in local stores doing various jobs since he was age 12.
So when the building that later became Fuller Store came up for rent in 1969, he asked his brother about starting a store of their own.
Harold agreed to invest in the Haysi Dollar Store, although he was still in service. After his two-year stint in the military was up, he returned to Haysi and assumed his role as partner in the business.
“He was real nice to me,” Harold said, motioning toward his brother. “When I got out of the Army I got home on a Sunday. Roger didn’t make me come to work until Monday,” he recalled, laughing.
It hasn’t always been easy for the two brothers. Like most businessmen, they have faced ups and downs in their profession. The two men rented the store building for about seven years, then purchased it in 1976 and added a second story.
But less than a year later the Flood of 1977 rushed into Haysi and surrounding areas. The town and surrounding areas were devastated, with many homes and businesses damaged and some completely washed away.
Flood waters destroyed much of the Fuller’s building too. Water stood more than a foot deep in what was left of the second story. The entire back side of the building was demolished by the flood, all the windows were busted out, and merchandise and shelving were swept away.
Their $40,000 insurance policy barely made a dent in the $190,000 loss the brothers experienced. But, without even discussing it, they began the work of rebuilding. “We never even stopped to talk about it. We just went to work cleaning and building,” Roger recalled.
Overcoming the flood damage to rebuild their business was a huge task, but the brothers say they managed it with God’s help. Roger is a minister and Harold is a church deacon, and they credit the Lord with helping them through difficult times.
Perhaps one reason for the brothers’ business success has been their ability to meet customers’ needs. Fuller Store has evolved over the nearly 40 years the brothers have been in business. The brothers began with a dollar store, but over the years changed the type of merchandise they carried to better suit their customers. “Over the years we found the people wanted higher quality, and we moved in that direction until we were no longer a dollar store,” Roger explained.
So the men decided to rename their store Fuller Store, both to honor their surname and because they “kept the store fuller than most,” the two joked.
The two men are grateful for the success they have had, and for their relationship with one another. “We give the Lord the credit for blessing us to get along,” Roger said of his business and personal relationship with his brother.
The two also feel a close tie to those who do business with them. “We love our customers,” Roger continued. “They’re not just our customers. They’re our friends.”
Recently, the Fullers were honored for their business contribution to the community. The brothers were pleasantly surprised to win the Small Business Veteran of the Year award both for the region and the state in 2006.
The Small Business Development Center at Southwest Virginia Community College contacted the Fullers last fall to tell them they had won. There are 29 Small Business Development Centers in the state, and each one nominates a veteran from their respective area for the award. This marks the second time someone from this area of the state won the award.
The two also won a business award in 2007 from the Dickenson County Chamber of Commerce.
Both men said they hope a family member will want to one day take over the business. They don’t want to see the store close, but know that retirement is an idea they will entertain sometime in the future.
Until then, both brothers can be found amidst the crowded stock of Fuller Store, enjoying the company of their customers and each other.
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