In the late 1940s, Don and Bud Mathis began working in their parents’ Oklahoma City-based furniture store, which served as their introduction to retail and the furniture business. Using the skills they learned from their parents, the Mathis brothers opened their own appliance business buying refrigerators and refurbishing them for resale in local stores. Eventually, the brothers decided to follow their parents’ example and established Mathis Brothers Furniture. After opening the store’s doors in 1955, Don and Bud began expanding advertising tactics. They decided to create a variety show, the Country Social, for the entertainment of all Oklahomans. The Country Social attracted some of the largest artists at the time, including George Jones, Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline, and Merle Haggard, granting a great deal of exposure for Mathis Brothers Furniture.
Although Bud eventually left Mathis Brothers Furniture to pursue new ventures, Don continued the Mathis Brothers tradition by involving his two sons, Bill and Larry. Having served in various roles at the store since an early age, Bill and Larry quickly became excellent managers, purchasing the store from Don in 1988. Don then founded Factory Direct, a mattress manufacturer that Mathis Brothers Furniture later incorporated. The store continues to sell Factory Direct mattresses under the label Lady Americana.
When Bill and Larry took control of Mathis Brothers Furniture, they implemented a new business model. Instead of marking up products and then offering seasonal sales, the store began an “everyday low price” policy. Taking the guesswork out of furniture shopping, the new policy ushered in an era of success for Mathis Brothers Furniture. Shortly thereafter, the brothers opened a new furniture outlet in Tulsa. In the late 1990s, they broke into the Southern California market with a store in Indio. At present, Mathis Brothers Furniture is the largest furniture retailer in Southern California. Most recently, Mathis Brothers expanded into the Ontario Inland Valley, opening their ninth store.
Although Bud eventually left Mathis Brothers Furniture to pursue new ventures, Don continued the Mathis Brothers tradition by involving his two sons, Bill and Larry. Having served in various roles at the store since an early age, Bill and Larry quickly became excellent managers, purchasing the store from Don in 1988. Don then founded Factory Direct, a mattress manufacturer that Mathis Brothers Furniture later incorporated. The store continues to sell Factory Direct mattresses under the label Lady Americana.
When Bill and Larry took control of Mathis Brothers Furniture, they implemented a new business model. Instead of marking up products and then offering seasonal sales, the store began an “everyday low price” policy. Taking the guesswork out of furniture shopping, the new policy ushered in an era of success for Mathis Brothers Furniture. Shortly thereafter, the brothers opened a new furniture outlet in Tulsa. In the late 1990s, they broke into the Southern California market with a store in Indio. At present, Mathis Brothers Furniture is the largest furniture retailer in Southern California. Most recently, Mathis Brothers expanded into the Ontario Inland Valley, opening their ninth store.
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