About Utah: RC Willey growing but holds to roots

By Lee Benson, Deseret News

Published: Sunday, Dec. 16 2012 10:48 p.m. MST

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Lee Benson

Deseret News

Summary

The local business RC Willey has grown over the years and expanded in number of stores and employees.

"You have to take care of customers, you have to take care of employees, and you have to prepare for a rainy day," says Hymas. "If you don't have any debt, you can really survive."

He's had a ringside seat to watch it work, ever since the day he joined the company in 1987 when his father-in-law, Sheldon Child, Bill's brother and the company president at the time, offered him a job.

Hymas had no idea the ride he was about to take. The family-owned chain was three stores then, comprised of the original store by the cornfield in Syracuse, another in Murray and another in Taylorsville.

A quarter of a century later, he oversees a four-state, 13-store, Warren Buffett-owned operation that's about to get bigger — and every month he sits down and writes a personal progress letter to Mr. Buffett to keep him up to date on how the little ol' company out in Utah is doing.

But never on Sunday. Now, as then, when it comes to Sunday, RC Willey rests.

Email: benson@desnews.com

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Featured Comments

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Steve C. Warren

WEST VALLEY CITY, UT

RC Willey is an excellent company, and like other private companies, they should have the right to choose whether to open or close on Sunday. Their 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. opening Monday through Saturday provides plenty of opportunity for shoppers.
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9:18 a.m. Dec. 17, 2012
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SLC gal

Salt Lake City, UT

I love their mention of steering clear of debt. That store is notorious for their billing practices, which include frequent errors, and screwing up people's credit scores (it happened to several people I know. I'll stick with Ikea - More..