Augusta, GA

Few stores, but mighty: Georgia retailer boasts 6 million-dollar salespeople in 2023 – Furniture Today

Published

2 years ago

April 25, 2024

Few stores, but mighty: Georgia retailer boasts 6 million-dollar salespeople in 2023 – Furniture Today

AUGUSTA, Ga. — In most years, Weinberger’s Furniture & Mattress Showcase here tops $10 million between its three showrooms. Sounds like your typical community furniture store success story, right?

It is, but that’s not all. Look again, and you’ll find that the family-owned, 92-year-old retailer had six of its retail sales associates eclipse $1 million in sales in 2023. In all, those half dozen salespeople accounted for $7.5 million of Weinberger’s total sales volume.

Vice President Karly Weinberger, a fourth-generation member of the ownership family, told Furniture Today that six members of its Presidents Club (Weinberger’s name for its $1 million salespeople) is a record, although many of this year’s members have hit those numbers in the past. One of the salespeople, Susan Crow, set a new Weinberger’s record when she topped $1.5 million from the Augusta store.

Yolande Grogan, left, and Kim Mattingly were the two Presidents Club members from Weinberger’s Lake Oconee store. Photo courtesy of Weinberger’s Furniture

In addition to Crow, Cambria Davis, Matthew Bruecks and Lisa Peeler topped $1 million from Augusta, while Kim Mattingly and Yolande Grogan were the two Presidents Club members from Weinberger’s Lake Oconee store.

In a year when many retailers reported sales slumps, what kept Weinberger’s going strong? Weinberger said a lot of it had to do with the store’s strong custom business.

“Our traffic is down, but the traffic that is coming in is spending and spending more. They’ve made up their mind and have done their research,” she said. “We’ve also got a good niche; if you want something truly custom, you can get it from us.”

And once in the store, she said the team of salespeople work diligently to earn the customer’s trust. She said that’s what separates a great salesperson from good ones, and she was fortunate to have six great ones in 2023.

“I think it’s the way they connect with the customers. A customer comes in, and they find out what their needs are,” Weinberger said. “Obviously, they satisfy those needs, and then they search for what else they can do. They keep in touch with those clients throughout the year, telling them about sales and getting them to pull the trigger in those periods.

“Those specific people who had $1 million are those who connect with the customer and get in their homes,” Weinberger continued. “When somebody trusts you enough to bring you into their home, it creates that connection that keeps them coming back.”

Several of the salespeople have been with the company for a while, which helps. “That is huge. You can’t put in words how valuable that is,” Weinberger said. “To know you’re going to open your doors and be able to advertise to customers that they will be able to take care of them.”

Weinberger noted that two have youth and enthusiasm on their side, which shouldn’t be overlooked.

“Two of our writers are in their early 20s, so we’ve tried to invest in young people. They haven’t even hit their potential yet,” she said. “To keep somebody like those two is really valuable.”

To celebrate, Weinberger said leadership took the six Presidents Club members to a nice dinner, plus they get to include the honor on their business cards and a cash bonus. She said those perks create plenty of incentive among the sales team.

“It’s a number all of our sales associates strive toward and ask how to get to that number,” she said.

So what’s next? “Now that Susan’s gotten $1.5 million, she’s got to keep going and break that ceiling, and we’ll create a whole new club for her,” Weinberger quipped.

Augusta, GA

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance with locating Nia Hudson.

Published

7 hours ago

December 22, 2025

Press Room

The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance with locating Nia Hudson.

by: Bebee S. Ledger

Posted: Dec 21, 2025 / 06:59 PM EST

Updated: Dec 21, 2025 / 06:59 PM EST

Augusta, Ga (WJBF)– The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance with locating Nia Hudson.

According to RCSO, Hudson was last seen on the 3500 Block of Peach Orchard Road at 5:00pm this evening wearing a red shirt and black shorts.

Hudson suffers from Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder.

Anyone that comes in contact with Nia Hudson or has any information as to their whereabouts is asked to contact any on call investigator at the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office at 706-821-1085 or 706-821-1020.

Nia Hudson: 27 years old, 216 pounds, 5’06”

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Augusta, GA

Augusta man missing off Georgia coast as search continues

Published

19 hours ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

Augusta man missing off Georgia coast as search continues

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The Coast Guard and McIntosh County Fire Department continued searching Friday for an Augusta man who went missing off the Georgia coast, as a body was found Thursday.

Roman Waldera’s daughter spoke about the last conversation she had with her father before he disappeared while fishing.

“I actually spoke to my dad in the morning he went missing. We talked back and forth a little bit and then he told me, well, I’m on the boat. I’ve got to get going. We’re going to start fishing. And I was like, all right, we’ll be careful. I love you,” she said.

The Coast Guard called her after Waldera went missing.

“After we got the call, my first goal was to get down there and start searching the island of Blackbeard,” she said.

Community joins search efforts

Shellman’s Fish Camp and other local boat owners joined the search in Sapelo Sound.

“I mean, everybody in the area who had a boat, they were on the sound, and it ended up, I was coordinating with the Coast Guard this whole time,” Waldera’s daughter said.

She said her father’s teachings motivated her to take action.

“So my dad raised me and my grandparents to get it done. Don’t wait around. Don’t sit around. Don’t wait for someone else to do the work. If someone’s going to make it happen, it’s going to be you. And I just, I thought, what would my dad want? He’d want me down there and he would want me looking,” she said.

She described what she would do if reunited with her father.

“I think I just hugged him. I think he just hugged me because I think he knows that I was down there. I was all alone doing that, looking for him all day long. I slept in his room. I think he knows. I think he knows everything, and I don’t think there need to be any words. I think we just love each other,” she said.

The Coast Guard asks anyone with information about the disappearance to call 843-453-1261. Officials said crews not part of the official search can create unsafe conditions and hinder response efforts.

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Augusta, GA

Former WWE stars involved in ‘Wrestling for a Cause’ event in Augusta

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2025

Press Room

Former WWE stars involved in ‘Wrestling for a Cause’ event in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – The community wrestled for a cause at the Georgia-Carolina fairgrounds Saturday night.

Famous wrestlers from the WWE came to the CSRA for the show.

Silent Fights raised money for a local family that lost their home to a fire, as well as former WWE star Toni Rose, who is battling cancer.

Former WWE stars like Johnny Swinger and Heath Slater made appearances.

We spoke with these headliners and CSRA Championship Wrestling about the event.

This is definitely the biggest card of the year. WWE star here, Heat Slater, myself, TNA, WWE, all the major organizations. And we got some good young up and coming talent here that’s going to go out there and tear it up and do the best that we can,” said Swinger.

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