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The company also was part of the building growth Union saw in the 1950s as an influx of textile supervisors moved to town. Net remembers that Milliken & Company built 10 houses on Highland Drive and ordered 100,000 feet of lumber.

In 1967, Berry Lumber Company became Berry Builder Mart and moved to another portion of its property and a new office and warehouse were built facing Lakeside Drive. People with similar businesses in other towns came to see the new office because it provided shopping space for building products, a new concept.

In 1978, Pete Berry, James' son, purchased the company from James and Net. Pinckney had died in 1965. Pete said he began concentrating the company's efforts toward the do-it-yourself business. He added 8,000 stock keeping units to the inventory of 2,000 basic "lumber type" items.

"In years past when one wanted to purchase something for his house, he typically contacted his local builder," Pete said. "The choices were not many or complex. The builder came to the 'lumber yard' and knew the inventory as well as the people there. He would go to the shed (or warehouse where items were stocked) and with the help of one of the 'yard hands,' he would load the item or items he needed. Now when a couple desires changes to their home, office, lake house, or barn, they visit a place that carries what they want. They want to see a variety of choices and they are not too excited about trooping through mud and cold to visit five or six warehouses to see these products, either."

With that in mind, the business became Paradise Home Center and moved to the Duncan By-Pass in 1993 to a new 60,000 square foot building. The building houses virtually all of the inventory so that the contractor or customer can see what is available. The aisles are wide and rolling carts are available, capable of carrying lumber, sheetrock, or plywood.

Pete said Paradise home center is a stockholder in and affiliated with two cooperative wholesalers/manufacturers, one of which is the country's largest hardware concern-Cotter & Company (True Value). These affiliations allow us to join with over 7,000 other lumber and hardware dealers nationwide to purchase at the best available costs, he said.

"These 'parent companies' provide Paradise home center with other competitive advantages in addition to over four billion in annual purchases," he said. "Computer hardware and software, satellite links, national advertising with people like Willard Scott, Paul Harvey and Pat Summerall as well as our paint, mower and brush and roller manufacturing plants help assure that we buy right. Annual buying markets held in Chicago, Indianapolis, Atlanta, Birmingham, Winston-Salem and Charlotte are attended by one or more of our people to assure that what we are offering our customers is the best for the least on the market."

Along with J. Vant, many of the other employees at Paradise are longstanding. In 1995, Pete's son, Dan, a West Point graduate, came to Union and became president of the company. Mr. Net Berry passed away June 16, 2002. Pete is chairman of Berry Brothers Enterprises, Inc. Nancy is Store Manager. Rick is the Assistant Store Manager. Pat is the Office Manager. Ann is the Accounting Assistant. Chris is the Buyer and Inventory Manager. Jean is the Receiving Manager. Jeremy, Carl , and Janice are department managers. Tim is the Assistant Warehouse Manager. Bud and Baxter are sales associates. Cashiers include: Cricket, Calandra, Ashley, and Jessica. Warehousemen include: Calvin, Doug, Lawrence, and Terress. Steve is the delivery driver.

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