A local loan company has made some changes, and wants DeKalb County to know they are here for their customers, bigger and better that ever.
Randall Dunn, owner of Hometown Loans in Smithville is from Dixson, TN, but has lived in the McMinnville/Rock Island area for over 20 years. He started in finance business in 1985, after leaving the Air Force, with his first finance company in Waverly. He later opened in Dickson, then Lebanon, and in South Carolina for a year.
Dunn then made his way to McMinnville, where he opened three finance companies. He was a partner in Tennessee Credit in Smithville, and says it was his idea to come to DeKalb.
In April 2019, Dunn opened Hometown Loans along with two other partners, but recently took over as the full owner. In January 2022 took over as sole owner of the business, that he says is here to serve the community. Laura Hutchins was an owner and manager until recently, but now Dunn is the full owner.
“We are here to help with any purpose loan, except home and land loans, from $300- $25,000,” Dunn explained. “We can structure monthly payments to fit the budget.”
Dunn said that growing up poor made him appreciate all kinds of people, and that he has been blessed to open something like this. He also said that he doesn’t forget where he came from.
“Good people have bad things to happen to them. You treat them with dignity. How you treat people is how they treat you. I am truly the kind of person who wants to help people,” said Dunn.
Together with Tenille Rowland, the new manager at Hometown Loans, Dunn says they are ready to help with your financial needs. Tenille has been with the company for two and half years, but has been in finance for 12 years. She says the business not new to her. “I worked at Tennessee Credit, then Jackson Kayak in finance department.”
Tenille is married to Paul Rowland, with kids Daniel, Seth and Caleb Stanley, and Zack Rowland, along with five grandbabies.
“We operate by the golden rule,” Dunn explained. “We like to do unto others as we would have them do until us.”