Colton’s, True Value keeping it local

Colton’s, True Value keeping it local

Recent Father’s Day promotion reinforces focus on the community for area businesses

news@theeveningtimes.com

Community focus comes natural for a pair of local businessmen. Locals drive their businesses and E.J.

Miller at Colton’s and John Grady at True Value home and lumber center know who butters the bread. They appreciate local customers and show it shows.

“Our local customers mean everything to us,” said Grady. “We don’t want to see somebody just once.

We want repeat customers.” The hardware store and the restaurant got together to focus on dads for Father’s Day and advertised a joint drawing for four hand cut 16 oz rib eye steaks from Colton’s along with a Weber grill and charcoal from True Value. Local celebrity, pro fisherman Mark Rose was all smiles after his named was pulled in the drawing.

“It was good for us,” said Grady. “He sure was happy about it. It was deserving for all Mark does for our community too.”

Focus on the community will continue at True Value. The store supported West Memphis Police with a 100 percent of the proceeds from the sale of ‘support the blue light bulbs.’ The store had Christmas ornaments for servicemen em- COLTON’S/TRUE

blazoned with emblems from each particular branch of the armed forces.

E.J. Miller saw the needs of the community for a full service restaurant offering hand cut steaks when he opened Colton’s. Situated in the booming tourism, hotel and retail area of Angelo’s Grove, Miller kept his eye on the community and has supported the good work of his local patrons all along.

Churches and civic groups look to the restaurateur for door prizes. Supporting Marion School athletics, the ASU-Mid South Greyhounds schools and charities are part of his plan to pay back the community for its patronage at the steak house.

“Every football season we do the Marion Cookout; cook about 500 steaks,” said Miller. “They charge for the steaks and all that money goes to them They use the money for different things, one time for starting up volleyball, another time for helmets and insurance, whatever they need.”

Colton’s also hosts four basketball teams visiting the ASU Greyhounds each season. The meals for up to twenty players and coaches are complimentary.

Local people can pick up a few perks from Colton’s too.

“We e-mail specials for birthdays, specials and new items on the menu,” said Miller.

Other local businesses are important too. That’s why the two linked up for the Father’s Day Drawing.

“The newspaper ads help me promote and I want to help the paper,” said Grady. “I make ads that are Evening Times only, you’ve got to see it in the paper or bring me the coupon. Special promotions may be a reason to subscribe. If it helping the paper its helping me.”

All local businesses are important to Grady because they are important to the community..

“None of us sell everything,” said Grady. “If it is something I don’t have, I’ll send them to another local store. It’s my competition, but we’ve got to promote each other, local businesses, the paper. We all live and work here. We’ve got to support each other.”

By John Rech