“Success is peace of mind attained only through self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to do the best of which you’re capable.” ~John Wooden
The Sweat Family
Ward, Jonathan and Dwight (seated), Libby and Cindy (standing). Ward and Dwight hold photos of their parents, Quentin and Doris.
Quentin Sweat
The Sweat’s Furniture story began in 1954 when Quentin R. Sweat became the manager of the Singleton Furniture store in Brunswick and moved his family there from Waycross. By 1960, he became part-owner of the store. Eventually his wife, Doris, also worked in the business, as did their five children, Carolyn, Diane, Ward, Dwight, and David, during their younger years. In 1969, a year after graduating from University of Georgia, son Ward graduated became manager and part-owner of the Singleton Furniture store in Fitzgerald. In 1971, Ward and Quentin joined together to buy out Quentin’s partners in Brunswick, so they could own the business outright as Sweat’s Furniture. While ownership of the full-service furniture store was a dream come true for Quentin, sadly he wasn’t able to enjoy it long, as he died that same year. Doris then became Ward’s business partner at Sweat’s.
When Ward’s brother Dwight finished college at UGA, he came to work in the business and was brought in as a partner/owner in 1984. Throughout the 1980s Sweat’s Furniture grew substantially and, in 1989, moved from Norwich Street to its present location at 3630 Community Road. This is where their substantial inventory is housed in a 38,000 sq. ft. showroom and warehouse for immediate delivery to customers throughout Brunswick, the Golden Isles, and surrounding areas. With Ward and Dwight at the helm until Ward’s retirement in 2023, Sweat’s has continued to provide quality furniture and excellent service at the lowest guaranteed prices in a way that only a locally owned store can manage. The brothers are well known for their strong work ethic, love of sports, UGA, and their families. Ward and his wife Libby have been married for 26 years, and most island residents recognize Dwight’s wife, Cindy, as a familiar smiling face at St. Simons Drug Co. While Dwight and Cindy’s eldest son Bryan bucked tradition by going to Georgia Tech and working as an engineer in Seattle, Jonathan, their youngest, took the Bulldog path and currently operates Sweat’s with his father.
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Dwight Sweat
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Ward Sweat
Jonathan Sweat
Jonathan’s earliest memories from growing up in the furniture store include riding around on the furniture dollies, playing hide and seek in the fabric racks with his brother, and making a paper clip and string sling-shot contraption that got stuck in the ceiling of his dad’s office—where it remains to this day, 22 years later! He readily admits that despite those fond memories, working in the family business was not his initial career plan. His dream was to play college and professional soccer, but a pair of ACL tears shattered his hopes and led him to the Terry College of Business at UGA. Jonathan credits his parents for their steadfast love, support, and guidance through school and into a job he now loves. He says, “Graduating in fall of 2021, in peak COVID time, my options were slim to none, so I ultimately decided to come home and start working in the warehouse at Sweat’s. Two months at Sweat’s turned into 3 years in the blink of an eye, and I have loved growing in the business with my family.” Using his dad’s teachings based on Coach John Wooden’s pyramid of success as guiding principles, Jonathan tackles managerial duties at Sweat’s. He especially enjoys all the “number and analytic” aspects where he can work to make the business more profitable, but he measures his success in satisfied customers. “Happy customers happy life. Any time a customer walks out of our store with a smile on their face, that means we did our job well.”
When it comes to carrying on the family legacy, Jonathan says, “It truly is a great feeling being the third generation at Sweat’s Furniture. According to score.org only 12% of family businesses make it to the 3rd generation AND only 13% of family businesses make it longer than 60 years. We have completed both of those and still have our foot on the pedal! Outside my office wall is a picture of my grandfather who opened Sweat’s Furniture. He passed away at a young age, and I never got the opportunity to meet him. So, every day when I walk in my office it’s a humbling and happy reminder that as his grandson I’m getting to work on what he started.”
As the oldest and largest furniture retailer in the area and a member of Furniture First, one of the largest furniture cooperatives in the nation, Sweat’s can pass along lower prices and preferred shipment on designs from some of the leading manufacturers in the world, directly to its customers. They also have a large special order department for custom orders and offer assistance with financing of purchases. Their experienced and knowledgeable sales associates are ready to help your imagination flow freely with exciting possibilities for your home. Whether adding finishing touches, furnishing a room, or a whole house, Sweat’s Furniture can guide you from style and fabric choices all the way through home delivery and set up by their employees.
When discussing the future, Jonathan says, “Predicting where a business is going to go is certainly a challenge. For now, we enjoy selling quality name brand furniture to the local community, and plan on continuing this trend for many years.” He adds, “We wouldn’t be here and thriving without customers choosing to shop local, and taking the time to consider that we have 63 years of experience putting proper, well-built products and inventory in our store and providing non-corporate customer service. At the end of the day, we’re all a family at Sweat’s Furniture. We appreciate our staff and customers as if they are all one. We’re proud to carry quality name brand furniture that will fit into anyone’s style and budget and we’re grateful to the community for allowing us to grow with them. We cannot emphasize enough how much your business means to us and we urge everyone to please continue to SHOP LOCAL!”
Stop by the Brunswick showroom at to see top quality furniture from the brand names you know and trust, including a new wing devoted to outdoor furniture perfect for our coastal lifestyle. You can also visit their website at sweatfurniture.com.
