By By LYDIA GRIMES – features writer
If you don't know Tim Peterson, you should stop by Peterson's Furniture and get acquainted. He is a quiet and unassuming man but he knows his furniture. And well he should- he has been in the business all his life.
His father has been in the antique and refinishing business in Andalusia for 45 years and he grew up helping and learning how to find and refinish fine pieces from the time he was a young boy.
For a few years after he finished high school, Peterson tried doing other things while he and his wife were in Mobile. But when he broke his wrist and couldn't work, he went back to what he knew best.
He rented from another business located where the old Robbins and McGowin building is, but really didn't have enough room.
He heard about the building on the corner of Mildred and Green Streets and rented it. It has a lot more room and gave Peterson the chance to expand.
Now he is able to carry a good line of antique reproductions along with the real antiques. He has a line of quality new furniture and many unique items that won't be found in other stores. He also carries cut glass lamps and accessories, and he has branched out to include the Swedish Tempur-Pedic mattresses.
Almost everybody loves antiques, but most of us can't afford them. Peterson is making it possible for more people to be able to buy and own some of those old pieces.
He has kept the business small and works alone. Sometimes that presents a problem. He does deliver items but because he can't leave the business, he makes deliveries after he closes the store.
Peterson was born and raised in Andalusia. He had one brother and two sisters and attended school in the city school system. He graduated from Andalusia High School in 1987. He grew up loving the outdoors, especially fishing.
He grew up with his dad's business and married right out of high school. He was later divorced. He worked at a couple of jobs including a small engine shop, but when things got slow he went back to work with his dad.
Seven years later he remarried to Monica Ellis from Brewton. Their families had known each other for years and were good friends. After their marriage, they moved to Mobile and lived there for the next four years before coming to Brewton. His father-in-law, Harvey Ellis, used to be in the cabinet business and sometimes he helps do small repairs to some of the items that come in.
Peterson, his wife, and stepson, Eric Chaney, live on Foshee Road. Eric is graduating from T.R. Miller this year. The whole family loves the water, so they like to go to the beach or a lake.
Peterson has a motorcycle that he and his wife use to go for rides or camping.
They are also very involved with their church, Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses on Foshee Road. They spend a lot of time working with the church, going door to door and did a lot of relief trips after the hurricanes to take supplies.
Peterson plays guitar and drums and took a few lessons as a child. He and some his friends get together now and then to play and he has even built a couple of guitars. Right now he is in the process of building his own motorcycle. He is a volunteer with the McCall Volunteer Fire Department. He and his wife like to scuba dive and are both certified scuba divers.
Peterson said they don't have too much time to do all those things because of his work and his wife's work at Boohaker Schillaci Robinson and Company.