Susan and Larry Mize of Goodman each opened businesses in Anderson this year -- The Poppy Shop and Mize Auto -- which are located just across the street from each other.
Susan opened The Poppy Shop on Jan. 23. She has been in the flower business most of her life. She said she and her husband were born and raised in Bentonville, Ark., but they moved to McDonald County eight years ago because "(Bentonville) wasn't our small town anymore."
Her first job out of high school was at Shirley's Flowers in Rogers, Ark. She worked there about five years and went to schools to learn about flower design and techniques. She went to Frankie Shelton School of Floral Design in Houston and attended conventions and competitions during those five years. She went to American Floral Services courses, including European and Oriental design classes and wedding seminars, she said.
"I learned to keep up with the industry through all this. That was a great opportunity," she said.
After Shirley's Flowers, she worked at Bokay Flowers in Fayetteville, Ark., then Georgia's Flowers in Rogers. She then managed Lily's Flowers in Neosho for two years.
There have only been 12 years since she graduated from high school that she was not in the flower business, she said. For 10 of those years, she worked in environmental health and safety compliance for a Walmart corporate office, she said. She then transferred to the Walmart store in Neosho. From there, she went on to work for Lily's Flowers.
"Then, I just decided, 'I'm ready to have my own shop.' I felt there was a need in the community, so I opened it up," she said.
The Poppy Shop is a full-service florist servicing all occasions, including birthdays, events, proms, weddings, funerals, etc. They deliver to Anderson, Pineville, Goodman, Noel, Jane and surrounding areas, she said. She added that there are always arrangements in the cooler and green plants available, as well as artificial arrangements and gift items.
"We can custom make anything you want. We can also do special orders if they want specific colors or flowers," she said.
Eventually, she wants to hold workshops and teach classes like basic design and how to make wreaths. The idea would be for the shop to provide the materials, and everyone attending the class would make the same thing, she said.
The Poppy Shop is located at 100 East Main Street, on the corner of Main Street and Sycamore Street.
Across Sycamore Street and just a bit south is Mize Auto, which Larry Mize opened June 7.
Larry said he was born into the auto business. His father started a salvage yard when he was 2 years old.
"I was always playing around with old cars," he said.
He has been working on cars professionally for 20 years, he said.
After high school, he worked from 1992 to 1995 at Auto Zone selling parts. From 1995 to 1999, he worked at O'Reilly in Springdale, Ark. In 1999, he became the manager of O'Reilly in Anderson. From 2000 to 2004, he worked at O'Reilly in Bentonville, Ark. From 2004 to 2011, he had a shop called Able Towing and Repair in Bentonville. From 2011 to 2013, he worked at Steve's Pit Stop in Centerton, Ark., as a mechanic for two and a half years. Then, he was lead technician at Firestone in Rogers for a year and a half. He worked at Toyota of Northwest Arkansas in Bentonville and then at Best Buy Here Pay Here for a year and a half. He worked at Tatum Motors from 2017 to 2019 as a tractor mechanic. And, he worked a few other places before deciding to open Mize Auto this year.
Services he provides include auto, tractor, small engine repair, and light welding. Mize Auto is also an inspection station for cars and motorcycles.
He said business is "getting busier all the time."
"The community's been good. A lot of people are recommending me, so that sure helps," he said.
He said the best thing about working for himself is that "you just kind of work at your own pace. As long as you're getting the customer's stuff out in a timely manner, there's no one breathing over your shoulder."
Mize Auto is located at 105 South Sycamore Street.
Rachel Dickerson/McDonald County Press Larry Mize works on a tractor at his shop, Mize Auto, at 105 South Sycamore St. in Anderson.