Meltons growing them right, right there in Troup
FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS
BY SUZANNE LOUDAMY Staff writer

Ronny Melton and son Dustin Melton

Ronny Melton is well known around his hometown of Troup for his quiet nature and his green thumb. He grows basketball star-height tomato plants, monster-size cabbages and has grown a great business, right in his own back yard.

Just like the seedlings in his garden, Melton's screen printing business has multiplied and now bears fruit in embroidery and sign printing. The gardener hoeing this row is none other that his youngest son Dustin.

Through his 18 years in the screen printing business, Ronny has seen his orders vary from single orders to enormous truck loads by not much more than word of mouth and great customer service. It was during one of those booming days that Dustin came out to give his dad a hand and realized maybe this was the trade he had been dreaming of as a kid.

Ronny says Dustin was quite a salesman even as a youngster. The family took a vacation trip to Galveston one year and as many kids do, Dustin combed the beaches and collected interesting shells and sharks' teeth. Filling his little pockets and bags with the treasurers, he took them home to Troup for what would soon land him a profit.

Not long after they returned, Dustin headed off to see friends with his bag of tide-rendered souvenirs. By suppertime he had returned with an empty sack and a pocket full of money. Dustin had sold every last one of those shells.

Dustin was destined to own his own business. Here he had a great role model in his father. When Ronny's orders picked up to a pace where he needed a hand, Dustin was there to help. Ronny says Dustin is a natural at just about anything he tries. And he was certainly a natural at this.

Ronny said many of his customers were starting to ask for embroidered items. Having to turn them away was just too much for Dustin. It wasn't long before he and his wife Faye had a long talk and decided they would open up shop and offer the embroidery service.

Ronny offered them the use of one of the buildings on his property and the family was set. Now they could offer more to their customers and Dustin and Ronny would really be in busi- ness together.

The business has bloomed and so has the relationship between father and son.

"All of my children have made me proud, but I never imagined that Dustin would follow in my footsteps," Ronny said. "It's made me happy to be here for him and watch his business do well."

It's good to see sons look up to their fathers and it's good to see fathers live a life of value as an example to their sons. These men got it right. Right here in Troup. Homegrown and proud to be.