W.A. Bragg & Company's remodeled Statesboro showroom displays working models of some of the latest in home bath, kitchen and laundry equipment in the historic building that was once the Coca-Cola bottling plant.

About 60 people came by for the showroom grand-reopening last Tuesday evening, said Tim Wilson, sales manager for appliances and plumbing at this location.

W.A. Bragg is the area's leading "builder dealer" in plumbing and appliances, meaning it sells more to building contractors than its competitors, Wilson said. The new showroom is designed to have more direct-to-consumer appeal than the more warehouse-like display it replaced, but with Bragg's business model, contractors remain a big part of the picture.

"The contractor can now send the customer in with confidence that they're going to see items and be able to make decisions on them easier," Wilson said.

Otherwise, customers could look at contractors' pictures of things they have done, but it is never the same as seeing an appliance or fixture first-hand and getting a feel for what it looks like and how it functions, he said.

Working demos

The showroom is now filled with examples of what he means, with separate areas for bath and kitchen items, many of them built into countertop and wall exhibits, and a laundry area still being completed.

In the bath area, there's a working whirlpool bath, as well as a safety bath, the kind with a door and seat so that people with physical challenges can get in and sit down in safety.

For demonstration purposes, a shower is equipped with multiple shower heads and a steam fixture, and more handles to turn them on and off than anyone would actually have at home.

In the kitchen area, he was keen to show off a built-in oven set, including a speed-cook oven with a halogen element on top and ceramic heating elements under the food. A separate unit contains an induction cooktop with a ventilation backdraft that rises automatically from the countertop and burners that heat water to boiling in less than a minute but remain cool to curious hands or a careless paper towel, even while the water boils.

Other displays include built-in refrigerators, a wine cooler, refrigerated bins that look like ordinary cabinet drawers, and an ice machine. Store employees are making use of the ice machine and a working dishwasher, Wilson said.

Except that it's packed with appliances, the showroom has been decorated like a cheerful, contemporary home. Showroom associate Shera Lightsey had a leading role in the design, suggesting colors, cabinets and countertops, flooring and carpets, Wilson said.

Tearing out the old showroom and building the new one took about eight months, with a contractor doing the work.

'The best location'

The project reflects the company's commitment to stay in the building on South Main Street.

Wallace Bragg, who piloted B-17 bombers during World War II, returned home to Augusta and went into the plumbing business. He established his own company around 1950, and it was incorporated in 1953 as W.A. Bragg & Co. His wife, the late Norma Bragg, continued and expanded the business after her husband's death in 1966.

Today it is headed by their two sons and one daughter. The company has eight locations, including those in Aiken, South Carolina; Athens; Evans; Milledgeville; Warner Robins; and Vidalia, as well as Statesboro and Augusta. Mark Waters is general manager of the Statesboro location, which has five full-time employees and one part-time.

The Braggs bought Bob's Wholesale, which was in the old Coca-Cola building, from Bob Wiggins and established their Statesboro location in 2002. The brick building dates from the first half of the 20th century, and is in the Blue Mile of South Main Street targeted by a public redevelopment plan.

"It's a good, central location downtown here, and it's easy to get to from any point," Wilson said. "Yes, we have looked at other places, but whenever it all boiled down to it, this was still the best location."

Outside, the building from the front still looks like a Coca-Cola plant, but with W.A. Bragg & Company's sign.

"We are working on improving the outside appearance some," Wilson said. "There's not a lot that we can do because of its historical significance. The roof is something you're going to see a change on soon."

Herald reporter Al Hackle may be reached at (912) 489-9458.