Laura Young
ECB Publishing, Inc.
In February, Linda Roberts Naylor retired from running her Badcock Home Furniture & More store in Monticello and sold the dealership to Felix A. “Andy” Johnston III. Although Johnston currently lives in St. Augustine, he is known to Jefferson County as the son of former Jefferson County Judge Felix Johnston, Jr., and grandson of Felix Johnston Sr., who founded Johnston's Meat Market. This is his eighth Badcock store in North Florida.
Linda's son, Joey Roberts, who has been the store's manager and her business partner since her husband, Joe Roberts, passed away in 2012, has also retired from Badcock but is working part-time for his uncle's property investment business in Old Town, Fla. Raphiel Young, who has been with Monticello's Badcock store for 16 years, has been promoted to manager.
Linda recalls that she and her husband, Joe Roberts, moved to Monticello in 1976 when they bought the Badcock store from Junior and Christine Tuten. Joe's aunt lived in Monticello then, and he thought it would be a great town to raise their children, Joey, who was one at the time, and Lynn, who was four.
“Lynn and Joey grew up in the business,” says Linda. “and our grandkids have grown up coming to Badcock. They have all worked with me on some level, ranging from making deliveries or, for the little ones, taking out the garbage or shredding paper.”
The Roberts family soon made friends in Monticello and became involved in community activities. With the encouragement of Fred and Thelma Wilder, they became members of the First Baptist Church, where Joe served as a deacon for many years. Joe also was active in the Jaycees and Kiwanis, while Linda joined Altrusa, the Garden Club and Beta Sigma Phi.
When she and Joe bought the Badcock store in 1976, it was located on the southeast corner of the courthouse circle, which is now a parking lot. In 1977, they moved the business to its current location at 405 S. Jefferson St. Joe and Linda ran the store together until he became ill in 2004. Linda became the dealer in 2006, and they continued to work at the store together until he passed away in 2012. Linda says Joe was the outgoing one and she, being more introverted, had worked more behind the scenes. When she became the dealer, however, she says the new role was good for her and helped her grow as a communicator. After Linda married Bill Naylor, he too became involved in the store. A retired electrical engineer from Progress Energy and Florida State University, Naylor became invaluable at the store, helping in any area where he was needed.
“The Badcock Corporation has been a great company to work with,” says Linda. “They value their dealers and assist in every way possible to provide the dealers with the tools to be successful. They start every Dealer Meeting with a prayer, which is very unusual in today's society. Their top priority is customer service.”
Linda gives God the glory for providing a way for her to stay in business in such a small town for 46 years. She also has immense appreciation for all of her customers.
“It has been such a privilege having a business in Jefferson County,” she says. “Our customers became our friends, and our employees became family. We have done business with four generations of their families. It's hard to express in words how much we appreciate the support we have been given.”
Linda's son, Joey, says that his responsibilities at Badcock never felt like work to him.
“I always thought I would take over,” he says, “but that wasn't God's plan. Doors opened up, and I'm to go take care of my Uncle David and work with him three days a week.”
Both he and Linda have confidence that Rafiel Young, in his new role as manager, will continue to take great care of the customers.
“Becoming manager is a good opportunity for me,” says Young, “I hear a lot of good things about Andy. It's an amazing ride, and I look forward to working for him and his team.”
Andy Johnston is excited to be adding the Monticello store to his suite of Badcock dealerships. He started at the Badcock store in Maclenny, Fla., in 2001. Since then he has become the dealer for Badcock stores in Palataka, Jacksonville, Madison, Branford and Green Cove Springs. He is pleased to have Young moving into the manager position, and he will be hiring new personnel to fill vacancies and to expand the staff as well. Like the Roberts family, Johnston's entire blended family is involved in running his Badcock stores, including his wife Lori; son Steven Anderson, who is a regional manager; son Jacob Anderson, who heads up human resources and accounting; and daughter Hannah Johnston, who helps out with their newsletter while studying creative writing at the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
Badcock Home Furniture & More will continue to build on its 46 years of service to Jefferson County with familiar faces stepping into new roles.
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