09/22/2026
🔎B&C History | Part 3
With Billy & Doris’ retirement, Greg and Kim stepped forward to carry the business into its third generation in 1993.
Billy established the Meridian St. location a few years prior - it was a little rough around the edges, but full of potential.
Greg wanted to remain on South Parkway, where the furniture and accessories were beginning to take hold. But Huntsville was growing, and Kim felt the North location was ready to grow with it.
After careful consideration and a leap of faith, Kim and Greg purchased 813 Meridian Street, narrowing the B&C storefronts to one.
At the time, it was primarily a feed-and-seed store with a few accessories, and a small nursery.
The outdoor furniture lines from South Parkway made their way into the main showroom, where customers could shop for patio furniture alongside fertilizer and chainsaw repairs — all without air conditioning. 😬
Eventually, the showrooms were gutted, HVAC was added, and the property began to take shape. The first greenhouse was built, then a second, then a third. 🪴
Fast-forward to 1997 — Kim and Greg made their first trip to the Chicago outdoor market, beginning relationships with brands and reps that would last for decades. 🤝
The collection continued to evolve — from outdoor furniture and boxwoods to interior lines, houseplants, shrubs, statuary, antiques, and imports...👉
Kim and Greg also traveled internationally to source inventory, bringing back pieces from China, Indonesia, England, and France. ✈️
Some of their favorite buying trips took them through the English and French countryside, visiting farms, barns, estates, and private homes in search of antiques and one-of-a-kind pieces you couldn’t find at a street-side market.
