For almost 60 years the Taylor family has been in the building supply business in Batesville.
That era came to an end last week when the business was sold to Gil and Nancy Bridges of Batesville.
The Bridges are planning a full-service rental store with complementary building materials at the Highway 51 south location in Batesville where they will begin selling inventory Thursday.
They own a similar business, Magnolia Rental and Sales, in Oxford.
Former owner Marilyn Taylor said Friday that she plans to spend time with grandchildren in retirement. She has managed the business since the death of her husband, the late C.M. "Mac" Taylor, Jr., and each of her children have moved away.
According to Ms. Taylor, a native of Panola County, her late husband’s family began in the lumber business in 1927 in Coffeeville.
Her late father-in-law, C.M. Taylor, Sr. built Taylor Lumber Company on Van Voris Street in 1947 and sold the Coffeeville business in 1950 when he moved his family to Batesville.
Mac Taylor was drafted in 1958 and took over the family business upon his return to Batesville in 1961when his parents retired.
The younger Taylor added a new store in Batesville and four others under the Nu-Way Cash and Carry name. Those stores were located in Mantee, Oxford, Eupora and Houston.
Lonnie Ales of Batesville worked with the Taylors for 37 years. He said the current building was built in 1967 shortly after he began working for Taylor Lumber Company.
Ales admitted that the company had sold, "…a world of lumber," and had a number of employees over the years.
"Can’t even think of their names there was so many of them," Ales said.
Mac Taylor scaled the businesses back over the years and finally closed the original Batesville business on Van Voris using that space for stocking extra inventory. The other businesses were also closed with the Taylors concentrating on the Highway 51 store.
Ales was among employees and family who recently honored Mrs. Taylor with a retirement luncheon at the Batesville business. He has also retired with the sale of the business saying that its possible that he’ll go back to work somewhere part-time. He also let it be known that it’s also possible that he won’t.
Meanwhile Mrs. Taylor is trying to find time to visit children and grandchildren. Her daughter Sandy Wheeley and two children from Lawrenceburg, Tenn. visit often. Her son Don is the financial officer for his Jackson church and her son Brent owns Hernando Funeral Home and is a Memphis city councilman and lives in Cordova.
