Established in 1916
When the stars are aligned, independent specialty merchants with no succession plans might turn over the business to a dedicated employee. When Mr. Paul Smith, Sr. (second generation Smith) hired Bernard Price in 1961, Smith was like a second father, teaching Bernard everything about the menswear business and how to treat customers. In 1978, when Smith retired, he sold Bernard 25 percent of the business. In 1991 Bernard became sole owner, buying out Smith’s widow and son.
Brandon came to work at Smith & James after graduating with a retailing degree from the University of South Carolina. “I went off to college not planning to go into the family business. My father would give me $100 on a Sunday expecting it to last two or three weeks; I’d be out of money by Wednesday. LOL! I was told I had to get a job and decided to work at Lourie’s men’s store in Columbia, SC. Working for someone other than family was the best thing I ever did; I decided to change my major to retailing and join Smith & James after graduating.”
Brandon admits it takes a lot of hard work to keep Smith & James growing in today’s competitive climate. That said, they’ve opened a second location in Greenville, for which he credits his strong team. “My father and I couldn’t have done it without our devoted team.”