Style & Class
Debbie Macey goes from the classroom to the showroom as co-owner of Perry Office Plus
By Janna Zepp | Photos by Skeebo, Janna Zepp, and courtesy of Perry Office Plus
The educator’s touch is evident on the showrooms of Perry Office Plus. The Temple headquarters showroom explodes with color in an atmosphere that invites creativity.
“Our employees helped make the design decisions, and I absolutely love color,” says Debbie Macey, owner of Perry Office Plus, which has stores in Temple, Belton, and Waco. Macey was a teacher for 15 years and spent six years teaching at Rockdale High School before she and her husband, Harry, bought the company in 1994. Macey says this is the most unusual job she’s ever had.
“I had NO experience in this industry when we bought the company. There was only one computer in the building, which was an anomaly. We learned everything as we went and prayed a lot,” Macey says. “We took ownership of a company that has been around since 1920 and has only changed hands twice in 100 years. Even today, our team always has to think on their feet and adapt. We’ve worked really hard to stay up with the times in an industry that has sometimes struggled to do so.”
The Maceys love serving Central Texas because it is home for them. Harry is from Temple, and Debbie is from Belton. It is where they raised their children.
“Our adult children and their families all live within (15) minutes of us. Temple is close to events in Austin and Dallas, but we love the small-town feel of this area. We also love this community because it values dealing with local businesses, and local businesses like Perry reciprocate by investing back into the community through schools and nonprofits that make our community a better place to live,” Macey says.
The Maceys have three grown children and seven grandchildren. Their son, H.B., is their sales manager, and he and his wife, Lynnsay, have three boys: Hudson, Cooper, and Jett. Their daughter, Haley, does part-time promotion for the gift store, Pizazz, and she and her husband, Austin, have two girls, Macey and Madi. Their older daughter, Jordan, does not work in the business but is a second grade teacher, and she and her husband, Justin, have a daughter, Jayci, and a son, Jackson.
“I love spending time with my (seven) grandchildren who range in age from (17) down to (1), and with friends and family,” she says.
Over the years, the Maceys invested in technology to help the company team improve service and expand the customer base, delivering to customers from Waco to Austin, and from Gatesville to College Station, as well as shipping to 25 other states.
“I love seeing that service area expand. It is also exciting to move into new product categories according to what or customers need beyond traditional office supplies, with things like janitorial and break room supplies, and even promotional products. Our furniture business has always been strong but 2019 was our best year ever and has continued into 2020. Getting to see our team be so successful and having our investments pay off like that is very fulfilling,” she says.
Macey has some customers that she calls on and assists with products they might need, and she meets with the management team regularly. She also spends time working on “Pizazz,” the gift and décor shop inside the Perry Office Plus Belton store.
“We started (Pizazz) about seven years ago to better utilize the space at the store, and it’s been a lot of fun to find new items to being in and see how they sell — another thing we have learned as we went along,” she says. “We’ve expanded and improved it over the years, and I’m proud of how well it has done.”
Macey considers Perry Office Plus an investment in the community by taking care of forty company employees.
“As long as the company is successful, we keep those livelihoods intact. It is something we take very seriously. Even during the pandemic, we managed to keep everyone on the payroll. Everyone did his or her part and adapted, and we made it work. Plus, when we’re successful, we can do more in the community, which makes us feel good, too,” Macey says.
