MOUNT VERNON — Brett Jolliff was listening to the radio when he heard a country song, but couldn’t remember its name.
“I heard the words Willy and Wade,” he recounts. “I thought that was a great name for a store.”
Now he’s got a business to fit the moniker.
Jolliff, a self-titled hustler and designer, fell in love with leather after backpacking in Europe and ending up in Florence in 2014. After the trip, Jolliff opened an online store, working out of his spare bedroom to make belts and other leather accessories.
The business grew and in 2015, Jolliff purchased an old UPS truck, gutted and renovated it for a home to sell his leather products. One thing led to another and the hustler was selling apparel,, steadily growing his business through the years.
But the space was starting to become too little for Jolliff, so he found a storefront with storage space in Marion.
The story, in most part, takes off from there.
Jolliff said the store was and is extremely successful, serving several tastes. If you are in need anything from sweatpants, to your favorite sports team’s sweatshirt, bar accessories, mixers and soaps, Willy + Wade has it.
In essence, it’s a trendy general goods store.
In early 2020, Jolliff decided to take his shop back to his hometown of Mount Vernon, roughly an hour away from Marion.
“I’m putting roots in this time,” the owner said.
One month before the pandemic closed stores across the world, Jolliff spent his time clearing out the soon-to-be store. During the pandemic and throughout 2021, Jolliff added wooden, metal shelves and created a brick wall storefront.
In November, Jolliff reopened the Mount Vernon store, located at 9 E High St., and it has been a wondrous success, the owner said.
“We have to build it up constantly,” he said. “The store is constantly building — and building a clientele base.”
The essence of Willy + Wade Supply Co., Jolliff said, is its small town locations.
“It’s highly unlikely the stores will be put in bigger cities,” he noted.
The store features items found in big city shops but without having to drive 45 minutes to an hour to obtain, Jolliff said. It’s about keeping up with trends and constantly changing items.
The store is currently having flexible hours due to low employee count.
One employee Jolliff relies on is Stephanie Soto, who says Jolliff puts a lot of thought into the products before they land on the shelf.
Willy + Wade Supply Co. is looking for Mount Vernon employees, if you’re interested contact Jolliff via the store’s social media accounts.
