We're Ready to Support Your Dream: Why Maury County is the Place Small Businesses Come to Thrive
For decades, Maury County, Tenn., has made economic waves as large, global corporations—from General Motors to Parker Hannifin—have invested in the area. But small, local businesses are just as important to the county’s economic success story.
Ranging from coffee shops, restaurants and boutiques to medical offices, craft shops and event spaces, local businesses keep money in the local economy and fill a much-needed niche, offering personalized service and custom products.
They also add to the sense of place that makes Maury County special, which is why many Maury County residents are dedicated to shopping small.
“We do have a huge following of loyal customers. They’re interested in shopping small and supporting local businesses,” said Terrance Blakesleay, who co-owns Shapard Lumberyard in Columbia with his wife Ulisha.
Founded in 1946 as Shapard Lumber, the lumberyard has been an integral part of Columbia for decades. Blakesleay—a local pastor for two decades and a veteran of the United States Marine Corps—purchased the business three years ago.
He and Ulisha seek to continue a tradition of service, walking customers through home projects, renovations and builds. This focus on service, Blakesleay said, has led to many friendships that stretch far beyond a simple transaction.
“I have individuals who come in and don’t buy a single thing on that particular day, but they come in to check on me. That means more to me than sales,” he said. “They’ll be back, but [they] have enough thought, love and sincerity to drive over to my establishment to check in on me. That happens almost every single day.”
Susan Leach, who co-owns two Columbia shops with her husband Bryson, said she’s made some of her best friends through her small businesses.
Both Needle & Grain, a crafty, “modern general store,” and Little Neighbors, a boutique for toys, clothes and other essentials for kids, offer classes that build community beyond sales.
“It has been really fun having classes. There’s a community of people in my quilting classes who have become some of my greatest friends,” Leach said. “It’s become like a modern-day quilting circle that our grandmothers would’ve been part of.”
Leach, who grew up in Columbia, said that she’s appreciated how much residents have committed to supporting local business, even as the city’s grown. This was no more apparent to Leach than during the early days of the Covid pandemic.
“We sold puzzles [at Needle & Grain] and, when everyone was stuck at home, … we were delivering puzzles all around Columbia,” she said. “It was crazy to see the people around us supporting us through puzzles, but it felt really sweet to see people … do what they could to keep everybody afloat.”
Up the road in Spring Hill, Margaret Ziegler, the owner of Vintage 615, appreciates the genuine relationships she and her team build each day at her shop.
“We always look for the positive and the good in people, and talk to them about it,” she said. “It’s neat when you can see the light come on in someone’s eyes because you go out of your way to just be kind.”
Ziegler said she’s created lifelong friendships with fellow business owners as well. Soon after buying Vintage 615 in 2016, she joined the Spring Hill Chamber of Commerce, as well as the Maury County Chamber & Economic Alliance.
“We’re all really close. You don’t feel alone if you need someone to pick you up, or to share good news with someone. There’s an endless amount of friends,” she said.
The team at Vintage 615 especially enjoy talking with people new to the area, sometimes answering their initial questions about Maury County.
“We’ve sometimes been the first local contact that people have had,” Ziegler said. “They’ve moved in two days [ago], and they come to the store … You never know what questions they may have, but either I know the answer or I send a message to somebody and get the answer.”
In addition to sparking fun conversation, this population growth—Maury County’s population grew 13.5% from 2015 to 2020—has been a boon for business at Vintage 615 and elsewhere.
In a similar timeframe, the region has seen a comparable increase in entrepreneurs chasing their dreams. Ziegler counts herself among that group.
When she studied fashion merchandising in college, she hoped to one day open a clothing shop. She went down several different paths—as a political analyst, a women’s ministry leader, a stay-at-home mom—but now she’s living out that college-age dream, with the support of the Spring Hill community.
“God answered my prayer,” Ziegler said. “One day, my daughter looked at me and said, ‘Did you realize that your dream came true?’”
