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We are delighted that you are visiting our
"About Us" web page! We have added some photographs, that, where
indicated, you may see in a larger format when clicking their provided link.
We hope you'll enjoy reading just a bit about our family and how we have
been in the grocery business for three generations! Skinner's Corner Store's owner and
president, Stephen Skinner, is the third-generation of Skinners to become
an East Texas Independent Grocer! We're mighty proud of our family
heritage of serving the grocery needs of East
Texas.
| It all began with the first generation
of Skinners in the grocery business back in the 1940’s with a man by the name of Lloyd Skinner.
Lloyd, at the age of 35, was the first member of the Skinner family to start
a grocery store in Longview, Texas. Lloyd's store was opened on Judson Road
in Longview. This particular store closed in the 1960’s. The store
closed at the same time that the state of Texas enacted sales tax laws. Our
family history tells us that Lloyd closed the store because he didn’t want
the “hassle of taxes”, at least according to what Lloyd’s wife, Arleta
Skinner, has shared with our family! |
Pictured above, left to right back to front, Arleta,
Lloyd, Billy and Arnold Skinner (click
here to see a
larger version of the above picture) |
 The second generation
(see
larger version of picture) of Skinners to be in the grocery business were
Arnold Skinner, at the age of 34, and Jerry Skinner, age 27, brothers, who
opened their first store in 1972, Skinner's Superette on Judson Road in
Longview. Arnold and Jerry sold their store in September of 2001.
 Stephen Skinner, the third generation of Skinners in the grocery
business in the Longview area, graduated from Louisiana Tech with a degree
in Business Management. Shortly after graduating he opened the current
Skinner’s Corner Store on April 16, 2003. At the time of the
opening of the now current Skinner's Corner Store Stephen was 30 years old.
An interesting side note about Stephen, while still in high
school he began dating a young lady by the name of Alison Bailey (who is now
Mrs. Stephen Skinner). During their dating years they would often
drive out to Lake Cherokee. As they passed the building that is
currently Skinner's Corner Store Stephen would remark to Alison, "some day
I'll own that store".
From Lloyd Skinner (Stephen's grandfather) in the 1940's, then to
Arnold Skinner (Stephen's father) and finally to the dreams of a young high school
boy, Stephen, and then to the fulfillment of those dreams today,
serving the community as an independent grocer has been part of the Skinner
family for more than 60 years. |
