Business History & Future Celebrated in Round Top

For this type of celebration a simple ribbon cutting would not do.

To celebrate the merger of Farmers Lumber Company and Round Top Mercantile Wednesday, they used a circular saw to cut a ceremonial board that had been signed by lots of the folks involved in the deal.

It was a celebratory atmosphere Wednesday in the parking lot of Round Top Mercantile to celebrate the big occasion, and scores of longtime customers came out.

There was food and drinks and radio live spots, and prize giveaways.

And in the middle of it all were a grinning Ronnie and Betty Sacks – smiling as they thought back about the history of the store they built from the ground up back in 1984, and also smiling as they know that its future is just as bright as its past.

“I remember the day we opened – made $500,” Ronnie said.

There were multiple expansions over the years to make the store was it is today – a real general store with groceries and clothes and hardware – and now lumber thanks to joining forces with Farmers.

The pad for a new 7,000 square food lumber building is already in place – right between the current Mercantile complex and Ronnie and Betty’s house.

“Things change and you change with them” Ronnie said. “But Betty and I want to slow down.”

So they put the word out that they wanted to sell, and they got offers from folks far outside Fayette County.

“But Farmers was a good fit,” Ronnie said. “They are hometown folks like we are, and they will do what’s best for the community.”

This is not a takeover, however.

Farmers and Round Top Mercantile are now officially FLC Holdings.

Ronnie and Betty’s son Michael and daughter-in-law Jackie will continue to run the Round Top locations. Michael and Jackie started dating after working together in the store.

“Friendship blossomed into romance,” Jackie said.

Michael has worked there 27-plus years, and Jackie for 20- plus. Their two daughters got out

Their two daughters got out of school Wednesday afternoon for the festivities at the store.

“We’re very excited about the merger,” Michael said.

Michael has also been appointed to the Farmers Board of Directors.

“We’re very excited about putting these two companies together, we don’t want to change anything, just add to it,” said Herb Janssen, President of the Farmers Board of Directors.

After that ceremonial board was cut, Michael shouted to the crowd in the parking lot, still holding that saw, “On behalf of the Sacks family, all the employees the community, the customers we have served for 38 years, this is a remarkable thing that has happened today, we are joining forces with an awesome company, Farmers Lumber Company and becoming FLC Holdings ... This is a very special day in our family’s life and it took everyone here to get us to this point. We’re going to work just as hard for this company as we have for the last 38 years.”