Return to Transcripts main page
Live From...
Interview With Tony Merritt
Aired September 01, 2003 - 14:54 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Finally this hour, we couldn't let Labor Day pass without a call to Tony Merritt. Merritt is the owner, manager, and driving force behind the Pack a Sack convenience store in Vinemont, Alabama. He works 100 hours a week and hasn't a day off in three and a half years. We caught him behind the counter.
Tony, nice to have you with us.
TONY MERRITT, CONVENIENCE STORE OWNER: Thank you, god bless you.
PHILLIPS: We don't want to interrupt work, so we will be real quick here. I have to ask you now, 100 hours a week, you haven't missed a day of work in thousands of days, I guess we should say.
MERRITT: 1936 days to date.
PHILLIPS: Oh, my gosh, to be exact.
MERRITT: I know it. Ain't it.
PHILLIPS: Tell me why, Tony?
MERRITT: I'm financially nearly ruined. Just the common dream for man to go out and try to fulfill a dream and I just got in over high head.
PHILLIPS: Well, you are the ultimate Labor Day story. I've got to tell you. Talk about working hard and earning a major payoff here. Tell me how business was struggling and you just decided you were going to make it work.
MERRITT: Well, my mama helped me out, Mama Jan. She's the one that deserves to shine here. She has come in here and helped me with some stuff we were raised on as kids in my convenience store. My ideas all failed, and miracle mama, they came to help me. And so I pledge allegiance to my mamas out there -- all the mamas out there. But my mama is real special and God bless her.
PHILLIPS: Well, Tony, I saw the letter that you received from the White House. I saw...
MERRITT: Yes. What do you think about that?
PHILLIPS: It is unbelievable.
MERRITT: The president didn't know -- he didn't know -- President Bush didn't know I got it hanging behind my store here and everybody that walks in sees it. And he didn't know when he was signing that what he was going to be sending to, so he knows me now. God bless him, too.
PHILLIPS: Well, God bless America. Now, Tony.
MERRITT: That's just what I said.
PHILLIPS: Yes. Amen. Hey, you got a letter from the governor of Alabama, too, didn't you?
MERRITT: Yes. And so all this stuff is way beyond what we can -- we're humbled by it, me and mother, the community, and the town of Vinemont, it's all a group of people, not just me, and I represent the hardworking man, the labor man.
PHILLIPS: Well, you are truly a labor man. But, I've got to ask you, you're definitely a workaholic. Do you think that can be too dangerous?
MERRITT: Yes, it sure can. You got to put the reins in the horse's mouth when it comes to this. So, be careful, if you start a business, love it and live it, but don't let it get in front of your personal life. And I did. We're correcting that now. And hopefully -- I mean I've got to be famous, I'm on CNN, for crying out loud. So, this should help me -- all the people I owe money, too, hey, you all hang in there with me.
PHILLIPS: Tony, where do you get this great spirit? Is this mama that raised you this way?
MERRITT: Yes, mama has a lot to do with it. We all have good personalities in our family. And you know, you can -- Clement Stone was a man -- he had said once a long time ago, positive mental attitude -- it works, and you got to keep believing in yourself and believe in what you're doing.
PHILLIPS: Well, Tony Merritt, we believe in what you are doing. We salute you today, along with the president of the United States and the governor of Alabama. You tell your mama we say hello.
MERRITT: You see the president, tell him I said hello. I'd love to meet him one day.
PHILLIPS: You bet. I'll let him know, Tony.
MERRITT: God bless you all. I am so grateful. We are so humbled here in the town of South Vinemont, and I'm sure God will bless you.
PHILLIPS: Ah, Tony. You take care.
MERRITT: God bless you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 1, 2003 - 14:54 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Finally this hour, we couldn't let Labor Day pass without a call to Tony Merritt. Merritt is the owner, manager, and driving force behind the Pack a Sack convenience store in Vinemont, Alabama. He works 100 hours a week and hasn't a day off in three and a half years. We caught him behind the counter.
Tony, nice to have you with us.
TONY MERRITT, CONVENIENCE STORE OWNER: Thank you, god bless you.
PHILLIPS: We don't want to interrupt work, so we will be real quick here. I have to ask you now, 100 hours a week, you haven't missed a day of work in thousands of days, I guess we should say.
MERRITT: 1936 days to date.
PHILLIPS: Oh, my gosh, to be exact.
MERRITT: I know it. Ain't it.
PHILLIPS: Tell me why, Tony?
MERRITT: I'm financially nearly ruined. Just the common dream for man to go out and try to fulfill a dream and I just got in over high head.
PHILLIPS: Well, you are the ultimate Labor Day story. I've got to tell you. Talk about working hard and earning a major payoff here. Tell me how business was struggling and you just decided you were going to make it work.
MERRITT: Well, my mama helped me out, Mama Jan. She's the one that deserves to shine here. She has come in here and helped me with some stuff we were raised on as kids in my convenience store. My ideas all failed, and miracle mama, they came to help me. And so I pledge allegiance to my mamas out there -- all the mamas out there. But my mama is real special and God bless her.
PHILLIPS: Well, Tony, I saw the letter that you received from the White House. I saw...
MERRITT: Yes. What do you think about that?
PHILLIPS: It is unbelievable.
MERRITT: The president didn't know -- he didn't know -- President Bush didn't know I got it hanging behind my store here and everybody that walks in sees it. And he didn't know when he was signing that what he was going to be sending to, so he knows me now. God bless him, too.
PHILLIPS: Well, God bless America. Now, Tony.
MERRITT: That's just what I said.
PHILLIPS: Yes. Amen. Hey, you got a letter from the governor of Alabama, too, didn't you?
MERRITT: Yes. And so all this stuff is way beyond what we can -- we're humbled by it, me and mother, the community, and the town of Vinemont, it's all a group of people, not just me, and I represent the hardworking man, the labor man.
PHILLIPS: Well, you are truly a labor man. But, I've got to ask you, you're definitely a workaholic. Do you think that can be too dangerous?
MERRITT: Yes, it sure can. You got to put the reins in the horse's mouth when it comes to this. So, be careful, if you start a business, love it and live it, but don't let it get in front of your personal life. And I did. We're correcting that now. And hopefully -- I mean I've got to be famous, I'm on CNN, for crying out loud. So, this should help me -- all the people I owe money, too, hey, you all hang in there with me.
PHILLIPS: Tony, where do you get this great spirit? Is this mama that raised you this way?
MERRITT: Yes, mama has a lot to do with it. We all have good personalities in our family. And you know, you can -- Clement Stone was a man -- he had said once a long time ago, positive mental attitude -- it works, and you got to keep believing in yourself and believe in what you're doing.
PHILLIPS: Well, Tony Merritt, we believe in what you are doing. We salute you today, along with the president of the United States and the governor of Alabama. You tell your mama we say hello.
MERRITT: You see the president, tell him I said hello. I'd love to meet him one day.
PHILLIPS: You bet. I'll let him know, Tony.
MERRITT: God bless you all. I am so grateful. We are so humbled here in the town of South Vinemont, and I'm sure God will bless you.
PHILLIPS: Ah, Tony. You take care.
MERRITT: God bless you.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
