JIM AND SYLVIA BUCHANAN
Beaufort’s Brilliant Mr. & Mrs. B
story by ERIN WALLACE photos by PAUL NURNBERG
If you’ve lived in Beaufort your whole life, are a new resident, or are just passing through these Lowcountry parts, you’ve felt it: that irresistible charm of a town that you can’t get out of your mind and most certainly out of your heart. Whether it’s the southern charm of the Beaufortonians or the usual magnificent sunsets over the water, Beaufort is calling. The town’s alluring qualities are undeniable throughout all parts of this town. In fact, this “call of Beaufort” was heeded seven years ago by a hardworking couple who brings out the charm in Beaufort through both of their distinct businesses they own and operate.
One has their own boat, and the other has a boutique gift store! But get this, though they own seemingly, diametrically opposed businesses, Sylvia and Jim share very similar business names. Sylvia owns Mrs. B & Company, a shop in Port Royal that she opened six years ago as a boutique-style store with local gifts, while Jim is a commercial shrimper with a boat named Mrs. B that he has had for six years too. It can’t get more iconic than that! The Buchanans, once from the cornfields of Orland Park, Illinois, traded their snow boots for sandals and have never looked back here in their forever home. They are all about the Lowcountry, and love living and owning businesses here in our coastal community.
Before Jim worked the boat, he was in the Marines for four years and came from Vietnam to the airbase here (his first introduction to Beaufort) over 50 years ago. Afterward, he was a Hunting Island Park Ranger for a year. Although Jim is a retired commercial pilot now, there is no doubt that he’s a man who wears many hats! You can find their shrimp boat at Gay Fish Company in St. Helena, where they sell his catch. If you ever want to spot the Mrs. B 1959 boat out on the water, keep your eyes open for a 46-foot wood hull beauty, cruising along shrimping. In order to grasp how Jim became connected with the shrimping business, it’s important to note that Robert Gay, who co-owns Gay Fish Company, has been lifelong friends with Jim ever since they met when Jim was a park ranger. Robert was 16 then! For over half a century, they have been fishing buddies, and they go out on the boat every chance they get together. There is no doubt that Jim is living out his dream of getting paid to do what he loves, cruising the waters of the Lowcountry!
Since we live in a tourist town, tourist culture can unintentionally take over. This means the coming and going of many shops, just like the coming and going of many tourists. That said, Sylvia has curated a whimsical shop that has become a solid, lasting business for the Port Royal community. Sylvia’s goal for Mrs. B & Company is to sell American-made products with gift giving in mind. This means Sylvia stocks most of her store with local goods, leading her customers to remark in surprise at the amount of local creativity we have here on the southeast coast! Mrs. B & Company has everything ranging from local books to photographs, pottery/paintings, and so on.
Nevertheless, her shop is thriving, mainly due to the customer service, management, and high-end retail experience Sylvia carries under her belt. Back in Illinois, she worked for Neiman Marcus for over twenty years, an amazing feat in itself! Fun fact: This also isn’t Sylvia’s first rodeo with owning her own store, as she had one back in 1987 for ten years that focused on home, farm, and country decor.
Though Mrs. B & Company will give you the feeling that you’re stepping under the sea, the shop couldn’t be more perfect for our coastal community. After the Buchanans officially became Lowcountry residents, Sylvia thought to herself: “Well, I’ll just open another store,” and open it, she did. It was no accident that Mrs. B boat was already docked in Port Royal right by Fish Camp when she discovered the quaint building for Mrs. B & Company, which was originally made in 1909 as a sea captain’s home. Of course, starting up a store sounds like it would be the most challenging thing to do for anyone else, but for Sylvia, it just shows her innate, hardworking spirit. Additionally, everyone in the Buchanan family either owns their own business or is the boss, so her independence is certainly no coincidence. Overall, Sylvia clearly sets her mind to do what needs to be done, all while creating magic in whatever space she is in charge of.
Now, how did this power couple meet exactly? Fate would lead them to a party they both attended in their early adult years, and Sylvia said, “We just looked at each other, and that was it.” Since it was love at first sight, they didn’t date for very long, and who would with love like that? Let’s fast forward to their life here in Beaufort. They bought their home in 2001 on Fripp Island but were still hopping back and forth from the South to the Midwest, as their life was still back in Orland Park. Alas, the magnetic pull of Beaufort reigned supreme as the Buchanans officially transferred their lives to Beaufort 15 years later in 2016, and they haven’t looked back, lucky for us. This super couple can still see their family, even with their demanding jobs, and that’s what matters most! In fact, Jim and Sylvia have two sons, David and Jay, who live back in Illinois.
Beaming with pride, Jim and Sylvia are so thankful for how their sons have turned out and are equally impressed with the work they are a part of. Their oldest, David, is a boilermaker (someone who builds warships and nuclear plants, etc.). He also races cars, and, crazy enough, has been on the TV show Street Outlaws a couple of times. Check him out! While their youngest, Jay, is vice president/credit officer at Provident National Corporation (PNC) and very successful at it as he’s always been ingenious with numbers. Not only are Jim and Sylvia grandparents of two girls who belong to David and his wife, Dawn, but they are also great-grandparents of a girl and boy, so it would seem that they are definitely outnumbered at this point and proud of it!
Though Jim and Sylvia work radically different gigs in Beaufort, it just makes sense. If you know, you know, right, Beaufort? Even though Jim and Sylvia are better together, they don’t get to help run each other’s businesses. However, they will visit each other whenever they get the chance. For example, Jim tends to keep the men entertained when he visits while the wives are shopping. When it comes down to it, the Buchanans couldn’t imagine doing anything other than what they’re doing right now. The camaraderie they both feel in their two different lines of business fills them with purpose and is the best part of their jobs. You will be hard-pressed to find a more brilliant Mr. & Mrs. B here in Beaufort!
