John Favara first met Oscar Webster in 1999, married Webster's daughter, Lisa, in 2000 and ended up going into business with Webster in 2001.
The two now run Favara Kitchen & Bath on Park Avenue - and Favara says the family's relationship is staying strong.
"We just went on a vacation together, all of us," he said. "We get along real well. It doesn't hurt the family friendship to be in business together."
And he said the store is staying busy, too.
Favara, 33, was raised in Greenwood. From 1999 to 2001, he had a mobile ceramic tile installation business.
Before that, he worked in Kentucky as sales manager for a tractor parts company.
Webster, 56, a native of Cleveland, was the manager of Firestone there for 32 years.
They bought the Park Avenue building for the new business in 2001.
Favara said they opened the business, initially focusing on countertops, because they saw a need in the Greenwood area for granite and marble items.
People wanting those kinds of products previously had to travel to Greenville, Batesville or Jackson to get them, he said.
Their business later began selling cabinets because that helped get them a "foot in the door" with granite suppliers, he said.
Favara said they try to offer one-stop shopping for their customers. They handle design and fabrication of the countertops and also install custom ceramic showers, whirlpool tubs, faucets, sinks, toilets, range hoods, lighting, cabinets and knobs.
They work with a lot of new construction, so "one customer will get a little bit of everything," Favara said.
This way, he said, there's no concern about whether a subcontractor will show up and do the work properly. "We're trying to be one place where you don't have to fool with 10 people," he said.
The business now has five employees and 6,800 square feet of space. Favara and Jeff Clark do the tile installation, Tyrone Hayes handles ceramics and Billy McMinn does carpet cleaning.
The building is undergoing renovations that will convert 1,000 square feet from shop space to showroom space, so there will be more room to display kitchen items.
