Ron Williams/Business Owner/The American Triumph Journal

Ron Williams is president of Williams Bakery Inc., headquartered at 8084 Mechanicsville
Tpke, Mechanicsville, Va. Williams Bakery has four locations in the Richmond-metro
area and 22 employees. Their showcase has 180 products, including wedding cakes,
pies, doughnuts, rolls and cookies; all made fresh and without the use of preservatives.
Williams has been the owner since 1990. His bakery can be found on 309 E. Nine Mile
Rd, Richmond, Va, 9502 Chamberlayne Rd, Mechanicsville, Va, 3544 W. Cary Street,
Richmond, Va and 8084 Mechanicsville Tpke, Mechanicsville, Va.
Americantriumphjournal.com spoke with Ron Williams, Septermber 18, 2009; he was 57-
years-old at the time. In the following paragraphs his triumph will be celebrated.

"The best part of being a business owner is not having to do stupid stuff," Williams said.
"I spent some time in the military and I found out what a poor job was, as far as doing
things that didn't make much sense. And here, I get to run around using common
sense, if it don't make sense we don't do it. And I get to make changes and I don't have
to go to someone and ask is it o.k. If I do this.”

One thing that has helped Williams Bakery to stay in business is it's ability to adapt to
the changes of the customer. Williams said, one of the changes he made was changing
his product size. He mentioned how his showcase used to be filled almost entirely with
family sized pies and cakes. Now he has added more baked goods for individuals such
as slices of pie, brownies, carot cake squares, lemon chess bars and cherry cheese
bars.

"It would have been real easy just to make the same thing and never change anything,
but the customers would get bored," he said. "So you got to keep doing a variety of
things to keep people interested in the store."

Williams was raised in Mechanicsville, Va. He graduated from Lee Davis High School
and earned a bachelor's degree from Virginia Commonwealth University. He majored in
business administration and management.

He is one of eight children and is the product of a two parent household. His father was
a baker and his mother stayed at home. His father was the owner of Williams Bakery
until he purchased the business from him in 1990. He is the 3rd generation owner of
Williams Bakery which was started by his grandfather in 1911.

"My mother used to bring me in to the one on Mechanicsville when I was a child," said
Faith Danridge, 49, a long time customer of Williams Bakery. "Now I go to the one in
Highland Springs because I live over here. I have recommended them to my friends
and to my sister."

Ray Corker, 41 has been a customer of Williams Bakery for the last six months. He
praised their food and service. He said, he just saw the sign one day and decided to
check them out.

"I have bought their cakes, doughnuts and coffee." he said. "They make good stuff and
the people who work there are real nice."

Williams said, when his father started running Williams Bakery it was totally independent
of his grandfather's business. He said, his grandfather sold the business in 1944 and
his father started a new bakery in 1963. The business today, that he owns was started
with a loan of $1,000 and 11 used pans.

"Granddad sold the business in 1944 and the new owner kept the name," he said.
"When my father started his bakery in Mechanicsville, it was called W.H. Williams
Bakery. The name was changed back to Williams Bakery after the other bakery was
bought out and changed their name."

Today, Williams lives in a four bedroom home in Ashland, Va. He was been married for
35 years to his wife, Cathy and has five children. Their names are Tobi, Erica, Amanda,
Summer and Carver. He said, two of his children are working in the bakery now.

Americantriumphjournal.com asked Williams to give advice to new business owners.

"Have a passion," he said. "Today I work 60 hours a week. I spend 40 hours in the
bakery and then another 20 doing paperwork at home. A few years back I was up to
near 80 hours a week. I spend more hours here sometimes than I do with my family. So
I like it.”

September 18, 2009

The American Triumph Journal is a free online magazine.

Ron Williams

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