Konstantin Vengerowsky/Clarendon Citizen - Travis Brown Jr. owner of B-mart, the oldest family-owned business in downtown Manning, talks with JoAnn Bosier, who’s been shopping at the location since she was a child.
B-mart still going strong after 75 years
February is Cities Mean Business Month and the South Carolina Municipal Association is encouraging all cities and towns to continue the important relationship between municipalities and their hometown businesses.
In Manning’s downtown, the oldest family-owned business is B-Mart, owned by Travis Brown Jr. His father Travis Brown Sr. started Brown’s Five & Dime store back in 1937. Prothro Chevrolet Buick GMC, founded in 1926, is the oldest family-owned business, but now lies outside of the city’s downtown area.
The story of how B-Mart emerged is one of accidental discovery of the gem of a city made by Brown’s father.
Brown Sr. was a student in Mullins, and Manning was a frequent stop for Brown’s father on his way to Orangeburg where Brown’s mother, Frances Harley Brown lived. Brown Sr. fell in love with the town of Manning and the hospitality of the people. When he had graduated from college, Brown Sr. and his newlywed decided to make Manning their home. Brown opened his business called Brown’s Five and Dime on South Brooks Street, right across from the courthouse, in 1936.
In the 1970s, the Browns moved the store to its current location on West Rigby Street, and renamed the store B-Mart. Brown Sr. opened stores in four other locations including Olanta, Lamar, Shaw AFB and Sumter.
Brown worked in his father’s store from the time he was 12, after school on weekdays, and on weekends.
“My only excuse were nights when we had games in the various sports that I played,” he said.
Brown graduated from Manning High School in 1957, and enrolled in Wofford College, and later the University of South Carolina. He moved back to Manning in 1964 to help run the B-Mart in Manning, and has run stores at the other locations over the years.
Brown said that in the world of business, one has constantly to reinvent himself to be successful, and he has been able to do just that with the products that his store sells today. Brown said that the store used to be the source for seasonal items and toys, from dolls to bicycles and toys trucks.
Today the store sells everything from beauty supplies life wigs and weaves, items for hair braiding to party supplies, school and office supplies, cookware, seasonal items, crafts, and sewing supplies.
The size of B-Mart’s operation has also changed over the years.
“It used to be that during Christmas time we would have as many as 30 people on the payroll,” he said.
Today the store is run by four employees, including Brown, who’s still actively involved in its day-to-day operations.
And Brown’s customers keep coming back year after year and generation after generation.
JoAnn Bosier remembered coming to B-Mart when she was a child. Her parents would give her a dime, and she would run to B-Mart.
“They had a huge candy case where they would sell candy for 10 cents for four ounces,” she said.
Today Bosier is still a devoted B-Mart shopper.
“The store has everything I need,” she said.
