Larry McDaniel Celebrates 53 Years In Men’s Clothing Industry

Gò0dNews Business Spotlight

In Men’s Clothing Industry

At the age of 14, Larry McDaniel received his first reasons his business has grown. When he first opened Town opportunity in the clothing industry. His uncle Bill Squire, the store took as its motto, “We’re the shop that Ledford owned Cleveland Men’s Shop on Inman appreciates the customer.” They still follow that philosophy. Street. “He hired me May 23, 1967. That is the reason I am McDaniel is very involved in the community. He in this business today,” McDaniel said. “I have grown up in is involved in United Way, Junior Achievement, and the industry; I have evolved in this industry.” serves on the advisory board for Southern Heritage Bank,

Raised in Charleston by Hubert and Betty McDaniel, a division of First Citizen National Bank. He is also a McDaniel credits them with teaching him how to treat member of the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce, people. “I was raised in a Christian home,” he said. He is where he has served on the board in past years as well. He also proud to have been raised in Charleston and of being has also served as an assistant treasurer with the Bradley a graduate of Charleston High School in 1971. McDaniel Baptist association. In 1996, McDaniel was named Small attended Cleveland State Community College and then Business Retailer of the year. He is also a member of the worked for his uncle for three years as a sales clerk. “His Noonday Rotary Club of Cleveland. mentorship taught me the salesmanship of the business,” he said. In 1970, McDaniel went to work for Daniel Davis at the Village Esquire at the Village Shopping Center. Under Davis, McDaniel went from a sales clerk to a sales manager. “He taught me neatness and organization,” McDaniel said. “I ran the store for him for several years.”

In December of 1976, Max R. Carroll approached McDaniel with a business proposition. “He came in and told me, ‘I have a business opportunity for you. How would you like to own your own men’s store?’” McDaniel recalled. “I said, Max, I don’t have the money. In five years, I may have it. Max said we are going to do it now.”

In January of 1977, Carroll and McDaniel decided to open the Town Squire. “In life, you have to have people who believe in you and give you an opportunity. I had an uncle, Mr. Davis, and then Max Carroll. He gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. If someone had not opened the About his heritage, McDaniel said, “I am proud to have door, I would not have had the opportunity so quickly—or been from Charleston. I am proud to be a Bradley Countian maybe never. I’ll be grateful to him for the rest of my life.” and Cleveland resident. We are all from the same team. We

McDaniel appreciates the relationships that grew into all grow together. By the blessings of God, the teachings of friendships over the years with customers. “You don’t want my parents, and the mentors in my life, I can look back at 67 to forget the customers who help build your business,” years and see what it has meant to me.” he said. “People who stay with you through the years Larry also expressed appreciation for the support become friends. It’s not all monetary. You can’t put a price from his family: his wife, Linda; his daughters and sonson friends.” McDaniel credits the relationships, customer in-law, Tennille and Jonathan, Jobe and Tiffany, and Ben service, and being appreciative of customers as a few of the Inscore; and his grandsons, Chandler, Tyler, Trae, Andrew, Cameron, and Aidan. “I’m blessed!” 34 // September 2020

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A Timely Story From Long Ago by Joyce Fox

People often ask me where I got the idea for my All these questions repeated themselves in my book, Slave to Grace. My first answer is simply, head until I realized God was calling me to write a “The Bible”. There is a longer answer, though, novel about these folks. So I sat down at my computer and I’d like to share that with you. and without even thinking about it, I gave it the title,

Ideas come from a lot of different places and trying “Slave to Grace”. What does that mean? It actually has to pinpoint one source is usually an impossible mission two meanings. First, Onesimus is a slave who finds but in this case it’s pretty easy. In my private devotional that even in captivity he can forgive his betrayers and time I read the single-chapter letter second, as Paul said of himself, that Paul wrote to a wealthy man Onesimus becomes a “Servant” (or named Philemon. The letter tells slave) to the grace of God. him that Paul is sending Philemon’s To be honest, Slave almost runaway slave back to him and asks never got finished because just him to “show kindness to him” and about half-way through my to “treat him like a brother” because computer crashed and I lost the that is what he now is. whole thing…and I had not been

For the next few weeks every saving the story to a disk as I time I turned around I found myself went along (yes, this all happened thinking about and asking questions before the age of those little things concerning Philemon, Paul, and you call jump drives, flash drives, Onesimus – the runaway slave. thumb drives … whatever … the

How did Onesimus become a computer calls them “e cruzer”s!) slave? Was he born into slavery? I had learned my lesson. When I Was he a captive member of a vanquished nation? finally got through my discouragement and picked Why did he run away from a master Paul called up the pieces, jump drives had come into existence “generous” and “kind”? and I NEVER AGAIN closed a chapter without

What kind of adventures did he have? Where saving it…twice… once to my hard drive and once to did he wander? How did he meet Paul and become a jump drive! a believer? And what did happen to him when he I didn’t sit down and ask, “What’s going to be the returned to Philemon (who would have been within message of my book?” But, somehow, the message the law to beat, brand, or even kill this slave who had became clear as I wrote. The overall message is run away)? forgiveness. We all need to forgive and we all need forgiveness. Thank God for the grace of forgiveness! 36 // September 2020

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