Linda Sanders
Lake Oconee News
Josh Boone and his partners last week finalized the purchase of the Sears franchise at Lake Oconee and Boone started managing the store on Aug. 29.
Boone, who is married and the father of two young sons, presently lives in Henry County but plans to move to Putnam County soon. His parents, Beth and Bernie Boone, live in Greene County.
Boone's previous retail experience is as owner of a Pepperidge Farm distribution franchise and of a Snap-On Tool franchise.
“I've always wanted to be in the retail business,” Boone said. “My father was in the grocery business in Atlanta.”
Boone has three employees at the Sears store, located next to Radio Shack in the Magnolia shopping center, which is owned by Mike Rountree, owner of Rountree's IGA in Eatonton.
Rountree and his son-in-law, Jon Butler, a loan officer at The Peoples Bank are partners with Boone in the business, but Boone is the majority owner.
The store carries major and small appliances, lawn care equipment, barbecue grills, televisions and tools - everything but clothes and furniture, Boone said, but the clothing can be ordered from the Sears catalog.
“These are what Sears's calls 'home town' stores,” he said, “and have taken the place of the old catalog stores.”
Rountree said, “Josh is an outstanding and energetic young man. He's got a great personality, and I think he'll do very well with the business.”
