Anyone from a small community knows that small businesses are not just businesses. They are part of the fabric of the community, especially those that have a history that is intertwined with the larger history of the place. Annville Town and Country is such a business. It has been family-owned and operated for 33 years. Recently, BJ Baldwin and Brian and Allison Murray, the now former owners of Annville Town and Country, made the decision to sell the business to the new owners, Billy and Rhonda Ball.”
That’s the gist of the story; however, as with many stories, it doesn’t start or end there. It started back in 1982, when BJ Baldwin and her then husband Bill Rudder purchased Saylor Brothers store in McKee and renamed it Superior Food Market. When asked about the purchase, BJ recounted, “While working for Paramount Foods in Louisville, Laurel Grocery was one of my clients. A friend that I worked with told me that the Saylor Brothers’ store in McKee ‘might’ be for sale. I left Laurel and immediately drove to see Doug Saylor in Manchester. Long story short, we were able to buy that store in 1982, changing the name to Superior Food Market, and had great success there until we sold that location in 1996 to move to Annville to take care of my Mom.” Superior Food Market served Jackson County for many years, and there will be many people who will remember shopping and working there through the years. Superior provided both of BJ’s sons, Brian and Ross, with their first jobs. Brian Murray remembers the time well, saying, “Ross and I both worked at the store as teenagers, and it was our 1st jobs. We bagged groceries for customers, carried them to their car, stocked shelves, swept, mopped, you name it!”
From its opening on March 12, 1982, until it changed hands in 1996, Superior Food Market was what pretty much everybody in McKee and most people in Jackson County meant when they said, “I’m going to the store.”
Three years prior to selling Superior Food Market, BJ and Bill purchased Convenient Food Mart, formerly CABIJO’S, and changed the name to Annville Town and Country Market. “We were able to have a wonderful business there for over 32 years. We were also briefly co-owners of Mr. Bill’s Gas & Grocery in McKee in the early 90s. This coming March would have been exactly 44 years of selling groceries in Jackson County for our family! We made so many friends over that time, and we are so grateful for all the support over the years!”
In November of 2000, Brian Murray took over management of Annville Town and Country, where he would remain until the recent sale. In 2012 Allison Grubb would come to Annville Town and Country. She and Brian were married in 2013 and have run the store together since that time.
When speaking of the recent decision to sell Annville Town and Country, Brian Murray said, “God Himself guided the sale of Annville Town & Country! I cannot overstate that! For three straight months, I asked the Lord in covenant prayer to bring the right new owners to us. I did not want to simply sell to the highest bidder, who wouldn’t take care of our customers the way we tried to and run the business as we did. It would be like spending half your life building a house, then selling it for a high price and watching them almost immediately light a match to it and burn it to the ground. Your whole life’s work goes up in smoke. What a tragedy that would be!” He continued, “Then, one day, out of the blue, Billy & Rhonda Ball contacted me about a rental property my wife & I were selling. I felt the Spirit of God telling me to tell them about the store, and it just wouldn’t stop! It was the furthest thing from my mind. We were trying to sell a house, mind you. I finally surrendered to it (it wasn’t going away and was getting LOUDER!) and sheepishly mentioned it, so afraid I would offend them. Rhonda’s mouth dropped open, and I began to apologize for overstepping. She grabbed Billy’s arm and said ‘Billy, how long ago was it that I told you that I wanted to buy a store and was praying for one?’ Billy said, “3 months ago.’ Talk about the hair on your arms standing up! The moment she said that will live forever in my mind! Wow!”
It may seem to some far-fetched that something as common as selling or purchasing a business could be more than a coincidence in this instance, but the timing was not the only thing that seemed more than fortuitous. In speaking with Billy Ball about the purchase, one can certainly believe that more than one prayer was answered with the exchange.
Billy and Rhonda Ball are originally from Booneville, where they own both a construction business and Southport Metal. The couple had lived in the Welchburg community for seven or eight years before moving back to Booneville for business purposes, but they never stopped wanting to move back to Jackson County and recently started building a home on 50 acres they had purchased in Annville. The reason the Balls were interested in the purchase brings the story even closer to home and heart. They had been praying to find a store to purchase in Jackson County. They wanted something that already existed and could be sustained. The reason they wanted this was for their 16-year-old son, Benjamin. Benjamin is Autistic. He currently attends Tyner Elementary School, where he has found a place and made friends. “Benjamin is really smart,” said his father. “If he loves something, he can tell you anything in the world about it, but something has to capture his attention first.” The couple wanted Annville Town and Country largely for Benjamin’s future. The Ball's other son, Brody, also attends Tyner Elementary School. Brody is ten years old and is already known at Tyner for his intelligence. The brothers have found a home in Jackson County and at Tyner. Both boys were previously homeschooled.
Billy Ball said of his wife, “She is an amazing woman. She is a registered nurse with two degrees, but she gave up her career so she could homeschool our children. She took Benjamin all the way back to first-grade studies and brought him up to the point he was ready to attend public school.”
The Balls do have plans for Annville Town and Country, but intend to maintain the business much as it is, offering low gas prices and great service to customers. There are some changes in the works, but they are only things that will improve what Annville Town and Country has to offer. “It is our wish to purchase the lot beside the store,” said Billy Ball, “so that we can expand the store, add a stock room so we can purchase items at lower prices, and pass the savings on to our customers.” He continued, “We also want to update the main store. The roof and the floors need repair and, in some places, replacement, and there are other structural concerns that need to be addressed, but I’m in construction, so that won’t be a problem.”
All in all, it looks like the changing of the guard at Annville Town and Country will be a positive thing for all concerned. Brian Murray now works with PRTC as Public Relations Manager. He also calls ball games across the region that are covered by PRTC. His brother Ross, after some years with the National Forest Service, went into law and is now the Jackson County Attorney. Allison will take care of some medical issues before seeing what God has in store for her next. BJ, who started it all, is now fully retired. She maintains the Jackson County History and Genealogy site on Facebook, which is a treasure trove of information for those interested in the story of the county and its people through the years.
In closing, it seems only appropriate to use Brian’s own words. “What started as a dream of my Mother, BJ, nearly 44 years ago when they took over Saylor Brothers’ Supermarket and made it Superior, ends with the faithfulness of God telling us it’s time to pass the baton to these two wonderful people, knowing it is in great hands! We know that Annville Town & Country will continue to be the best store in the county and the region! Please give them your support and your business! They have our full endorsement, as this is most definitely God-ordained!”
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and we at the Sun are fortunate to have several pictures that help tell the story over the years thanks to Brian. We wish all involved Godspeed as the future unfolds.
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