Gerry Willey, The Man Behind Fenton Home Furnishings

Chelsea Mills • June 20, 2014

Started in 1979 with one store and one employee (himself)

Fenton Home Furnishings, Fenton, Michigan

Mr. Gerry Willey opened Fenton Home Furnishings 35 years ago on April 1, 1979, and since then he has grown it into a successful furniture business consisting of four locations, as well as 34 employees, including seven salespeople and ten designers. That makes him the force and the talent behind this impressive establishment, complete with a compelling life story that speaks to his remarkable achievements.

Born July 17th, 1939, Mr. Willey lived on the east side of Flint and came from very humble beginnings. He left high school in the 12th grade to join the Marine Corps in which he served from 1956 to 1959. Mr. Willey opened his Fenton store with only one employee-himself doing all the buying, selling, unloading, and pricing for the original establishment. He had two high school boys come in at 3 PM to help with deliveries. His dad had helped him covert a $400 old blue pickup to a delivery truck by building a wooden box on the top to hold all the customers’ merchandise. He has since come a long way to his present delivery fleet of five trucks.

In fact, the red-carpet delivery service now offered by Fenton Home Furnishings is unique. With each delivery, the customer can have things moved to another location in their home in order to accommodate their new purchase. That is, the professional delivery staff will move old furniture upstairs, downstairs, or even out to the garage of a customer if need be. After each delivery is completed, the client receives a special surprise gift, and a follow-up phone call a couple days later to ensure everything went as expected.

Though most merchandise the store carries is standard for the furniture business, there are also many one-of-a kind items available at each location, thereby making each store unique in its own right. All the stores have the latest in styles and fabrics in furniture as well, with experienced staff at the ready with whom customers can consult. Complimentary home design services are offered at each location to help clients choose the right furniture and accessories to showcase their homes, while custom window treatments and blinds are also available at the Frankenmuth store. “Our customers expect us to take care of them. We offer quality, style, comfort, and design experience. Our customers are informed, well-read and enjoy travel.” In order to consistently meet these customers’ needs, he adds that Fenton Home Furnishings professional staff stay up-to-date on home design shows and magazines to ensure clients see the latest design trends.

Nowadays, Mr. Willey just watches his well-structured business operate, allowing him more time to discover other adventures-including a perhaps not so well-known purchase of the Fenton Hotel from the bank in 1996. He found out quickly enough that he was not cut out for the restaurant business and sold it in 1997-content now to enjoy observing the company he so carefully constructed run successfully. “For the most part, I just sit back and watch,” he laughs, but then he becomes more serious and says, “But I am very proud of my family.” Willey has three children who are involved in the business: Nick, who is the operations manager overseeing the finances; Kristi, who is in charge of advertising, web development, and buying; and Rodney, who is the general manager. At one time, his other two children also worked for the company-Lora, worked in the office, is now the Coordinator of Education for Reverence Home Health Care & Hospice, and Gerry Jr. who once delivered furniture while going to college. He has since earned his law degree and works at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP in NYC.

“God is Good and Life is Good-only in America” is Mr. Willey’s motto. He goes on to explain, “Fenton has been good to me; (the store) has an excellent service department and our reputation has gotten us far. About 85% of our business comes from current customers and referrals. Once we sell someone, we usually have him or her as a customer for life. The reason is we ‘hug’ our customers, and they get special treatment here.”

Recently he had a conversation with his grandson who is 15 years old and a student at Powers Catholic High school. Mr. Willey asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. His grandson replied, “I have no idea.” About that remark Mr. Willey says, “You know what, I’m almost 75 years old and I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up. I never dreamed I’d sell furniture, but you know… , I enjoy it, I really do.” Ninety-eight percent of the merchandise in the store is American or Michigan-made Mr. Willey explained proudly, adding, “We strive to carry only the best, and we strive to make our customers happy.” And he seems to have succeeded in doing both for a very long and successful time.

Fenton Home Furnishings

1136 North Leroy Street

Fenton, Michigan

(810) 629-0650

Closeup of gray sweatshirt with embossed script text reading Las Vegas
By Angela Hanners March 17, 2025
Raise Your Name in More Than Just Conversation
By Angela Hanners March 11, 2025
The Fenton Expo celebrated it's 40th year with its event on March 1st & 2nd with over 100 businesses and organizations participating. The Expo provides a great outlet for the community to interact and learn about local businesses, organizations, and resources. We helped to create awesome and standout red bags to match the Ruby in the event logo symbolizing it's 40th anniversary. These bags were passed out to attendees so they could have a place to collect giveaways as they went booth to booth. We also created matching chapsticks. The City of Linden also had a booth at the Expo with a backdrop and table runner that we created for them. 
By Angela Hanners March 11, 2025
We created a new website design for Total Benefit Systems Inc. ! Total Benefit Systems Inc. is an independent health insurance agency based in Flint, MI. Their experienced team insures over 385 businesses in Michigan and has over 20 providers to choose from. They work closely with clients to create a plan that fits them and also host informative meetings to help employees and clients understand their coverage and options. This user-friendly website helps potential customers see how Total Benefit Solutions can provide them with the best solution tailored to them and their trustworthiness with customer reviews, staff photos, and a video that shows their staff working and meeting with actual clients. The home, about, and services pages also answers many of the questions that a potential client may have about the services that they provide. There are also several buttons as well as a button in the header that directs the user to a contact form if they wish to request a quote making contact hassle-free and depending upon the initial interaction of a user's interest. The provider page displays what health insurance providers that Total Benefit Systems uses to provide their clients with coverage. Clicking on the logos redirects you to that company's website, this display of transparency shows that Total Benefit Systems will be clear and fair in providing the client with information about the services that they are providing, building trust. The website's more modern design features clear sections with color blocking and prominent elements to attract a user's attention and make finding information and navigating more user-friendly.
By Chelsea Mills March 10, 2025
This past weekend, Matt and I had the incredible opportunity to be at the Michigan Golf Show at the Suburban Showcase in Novi. We were in the Ally Challenge booth with some amazing people—Lisa Marie, Erin Stone, and Freddy Kopplow. It was a fantastic afternoon of sharing excitement about this year’s Ally Challenge, which will take place from August 18-24, 2025. We also had the pleasure of running into some friends and clients, Lisa and Greg MacDonald, at the show, making the day even more memorable! While the event is months away, we’re thrilled to announce that concert lineups will be revealed very soon, potentially next month! Keep an eye out for our media blitz as we travel around Genesee and Oakland County to announce the talented artists performing at the event. If you’re interested in learning more about the tournament, getting your charity involved, or finding out about volunteer opportunities, be sure to check out the contact page at The Ally Challenge . Stay tuned for more updates!
By Chelsea Mills March 10, 2025
High School Juniors and Seniors Gain Career Insights and Networking Skills at Chamber-Led Workshop Featuring Keynote Speaker Andrea Brimmer
By Angela Hanners March 5, 2025
Take Your Name On The Go - Watch The Demo
Show More
Share by: