RC Willey Home Furnishings

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RC Willey

Company type| Subsidiary
Industry| Retail
Founded| 1932; 92 years ago (1932) in Syracuse, Utah, United States
Founder| Rufus Call Willey
Headquarters|

Salt Lake City, Utah

United States

Area served

| Western United States

Key people

| William H. Child (Chairman)
Scott Hymas (CEO)
Jeff Child (President)
Curtis Child (CFO)
Products| Furniture
Electronics
Home appliances
Mattresses
Flooring
Owner| Berkshire Hathaway
Website| www.rcwilley.com

RC Willey Home Furnishings (RC Willey) is an American home furnishings company in Utah, Idaho, Nevada and California.[1] It was founded in 1932 by Rufus Call Willey in Syracuse, Utah, RC. He began selling Hotpoint-brand appliances door-to-door out of the back of his pickup truck. RC Willey has 10 locations across the Western United States and specializes in furniture, electronics, home appliances, mattresses, and flooring. In 1995, the holding company Berkshire Hathaway bought RC Willey in a deal with Warren Buffett.[2][3]

## History[edit]

RC Willey was founded in 1932 in Syracuse, Utah, then a farming community.

In 1932 Rufus Call Willey began selling Hotpoint Brand appliances door-to-door in Syracuse, Utah. Employed by the local electric company, he first started selling appliances from the back of his pick-up truck on the side as he made his rounds. To guarantee customer satisfaction, Willey would lend out appliances for a week so that people could try them out. He also let them finance the purchases in installments over a three-year period, payable at harvest time. In 1950 he built his first store next door to his home in Syracuse.

In 1954, Willey left the company due to terminal cancer. William H. Child, who had married Willey's daughter Darlene three years earlier, took over the business. William Child is credited with adding furniture to the company's appliance offerings.

Berkshire Hathaway, Inc., the holding company led by billionaire investor Warren Buffett, acquired RC Willey on May 24, 1995.

In 1998, RC Willey's South Salt Lake location became the site of a "Whaling Wall" mural by the famous marine artist Wyland.

Chief financial officer Scott L. Hymas, who had been with the company since 1987, succeeded Bill Child as CEO in February 2001. Child remained chairman. At the same time, Bill Child's nephew, Jeffrey S. Child, became the company's president.

### Timeline[edit]

Timeline  Year  | Event

|

1932  | Rufus Call Willey begins selling appliances door-to-door.
1950  | RC Willey opens its first store in Syracuse, Utah.
1954  | William H. Child takes over the business.
1969  | A second store opens in Murray, Utah.
1990  | Six stores have sales of $100 million.
1995  | Berkshire Hathaway, Inc. acquires the company.
1999  | RC Willey expands outside Utah with Meridian, Idaho, store
2019  | Original RC Willey closes

## References[edit]

1. ^ Benedict, Jeff (April 21, 2009). How to Build a Business Warren Buffett Would Buy: The R. C. Willey Story. Shadow Mountain. ISBN 978-1606410417.
2. ^ "BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY INC". www.berkshirehathaway.com.
3. ^ "LINKS TO BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY SUB. COMPANIES". www.berkshirehathaway.com.

## External links[edit]

* RC Willey Home Furnishings
* Book Review: The R.C. Willey Story by Ravi Nagarajan

* v
* t
* e

Berkshire Hathaway

Board of
directors|

* Warren Buffett
* Greg Abel
* Howard Graham Buffett
* Susan Decker
* David Gottesman
* Ajit Jain
* Ronald Olson
* Walter Scott Jr.

Insurance|

* Alleghany Corporation
* TransRe
* Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies
* Kansas Bankers Surety Company
* Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
* BoatUS
* Central States Indemnity
* GEICO
* Gen Re
* MedPro Group
* National Indemnity Company
* Berkshire Hathaway Assurance
* GUARD Insurance

Materials and
construction|

* Acme Brick
* Benjamin Moore & Co.
* Clayton Homes
* International Metalworking Companies
* ISCAR Metalworking
* TaeguTec
* Tungaloy
* Johns Manville
* Lubrizol
* Marmon
* Marmon-Herrington
* Procor
* Union Tank Car Company
* Precision Castparts Corp.
* Carlton Forge Works
* Special Metals
* Timet
* Wyman-Gordon
* Shaw Industries
* Mouser Electronics

Furniture|

* Jordan's Furniture
* Nebraska Furniture Mart
* RC Willey Home Furnishings

Clothing|

| Apparel|

* Fruit of the Loom
* BVD
* Russell Athletic
* Spalding
* Vanity Fair Brands
* Exquisite Form
* Vassarette

|

Footwear|

* Brooks Sports
* Double-H Boots
* Justin Brands
* Chippewa Boots
* Justin Boots
* Nocona Boots
* Tony Lama Boots

Transportation|

* Berkshire Hathaway Automotive
* BNSF
* FlightSafety International
* Forest River
* Marquis Jet
* McLane
* NetJets
* Pilot Flying J

Food|

* CTB International
* Dairy Queen
* Karmelkorn
* Orange Julius
* The Pampered Chef
* See's Candies

Media|

* Business Wire
* WPLG

Jewelry|

* Ben Bridge Jeweler
* Borsheims
* Helzberg Diamonds

Scott Fetzer|

* Campbell Hausfeld
* Ginsu
* Kirby
* World Book Encyclopedia

BH Energy|

* AltaLink
* HomeServices of America
* Edina Realty
* Long & Foster
* RealtySouth
* Kern River Gas Transmission Company
* MidAmerican Energy Company
* Northern Powergrid
* NV Energy
* PacifiCorp

Other businesses|

* Duracell
* Oriental Trading Company

Major public
company ownership
positions|

* American Express (18%)
* Apple (6%)
* Bank of America (12%)
* Coca-Cola Company (10%)
* DaVita (32%)
* Kraft Heinz (27%)
* Moody's (13%)
* RH (9%)

Related|

* Charlie Munger
* Poor Charlie's Almanack
* Blue Chip Stamps
* Wesco Financial
* Owned assets
* Becoming Warren Buffett

* Category

Authority control databases

International|

* VIAF

National|

* United States

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