Sartain’s True Value Receives Spotlight Award

By David Howell

Editor

WATER VALLEY – Sartain’s True Value has been selected by the Water Valley Area Chamber of Commerce as the recipient of the Business Spotlight Award. On Friday, January 5th, the chamber proudly presented certificates to the two families involved in this business for over five decades – Jack and Judy Sartain and Joey and Lindsay Hastings. Presented by the current chamber president Linda Maynor, a large group of chamber board members, family and Water Valley Ambassadors witnessed the event.

Jack Sartain’s father, Dale, bought the local Western Auto store from Mary Miller Suratt over 50 years ago in August of 1963. Sartain was a student at Water Valley High School at the time and began his retail career working on and off in the store. 

He continued part-time through his college years at Mississippi State. After college, Sartain spent two years in the Army, including a tour in Vietnam. He married his wife, Judy, in June of 1971 and after she graduated from MSCW in May of 1972, the couple moved permanently to Water Valley.

The business moved from its original location on the corner of Main and Wagner Streets to its present location at 421 North Main in 1976. The store continued under the Western Auto name until 1978.

“We became, more or less, an independent hardware store and affiliated with one of the major co-ops,”” Sartain said. “Fifteen years later we became a True Value Store.”

Sartain said that the nature of the business changed over the years. “We kind of moved away from the Western Auto type of business, and more into a hardware, major appliance and furniture operation.”

The reason for the change was to meet the needs of the customers, he added. “In order to meet those needs, we began to add other types of merchandise to our business.

In January of 2013, longtime employee Joey Hastings purchased the business from Sartain. Hastings first started working at the business part-time when he was 14 years-old and stayed through his high school years, much as Sartain did decades earlier.

After graduation, Hastings went to Northwest Community College where he studied tractor mechanics all the while working part-time at Sartain’s. After completing the course he worked briefly as a mechanic in Batesville before returning full-time at Sartain’s in 2002.

Keeping the same store name and friendly service customers appreciated, the store continues to prosper under Hastings’ ownership. 

“I appreciate all of our loyal customers,” Hastings said.

It is a pleasure for the Chamber of Commerce to honor Sartain’s True Value and the owners who have served there so faithfully for many years. The Chamber extends gratitude to the business owners, both as longtime Chamber members and as one of Water Valley’s key businesses.

In honor of this Business Spotlight award, the Water Valley Area Chamber of Commerce is offering an Onyx knife with replaceable blades purchased from Sartain’s True Value, to be awarded to the person whose name is drawn at noon on Friday, Jan. 19. Everyone is encouraged to participate in this drawing and you have “10 days and two ways” to sign up between January 10th and noon on January 19.

You may stop by Sartain’s any time during regular business hours to sign up Or you may sign up on the Chamber’s Facebook page. Go to: Water Valley Area Chamber of Commerce, and find the post called “Win a Free Gift from Sartain’s.” Then type a comment stating how many years Joey Hastings has worked at Sartain’s. You must give an answer to be included in the drawing, but the correct answer is not required to win. (Note: “LIKES” only will not be included in the drawing.)

Both types of ballots will be collected or combined, on per person; and the winner will be called OR notified on Facebook. The winner’s name and photograph will be published in the following edition of the North Mississippi Herald.