....at Ora Meat Market

Dr. Bulo Ervin Price III was born in Shelby, one of five kids and raised in a mill house in the Dover-Ora Mill village. Today he lives in the same mill house where he grew up. He's the owner of Ora Supermarket and the Pastor of Dover Baptist Church. Bulo Price holds a Doctor of Divinity degree. You'd never know it because he is very unpretentious and definitely a people person.
After working at Ora Supermarket all day, he looks forward to going home to his wife of 34 years, Mackie, and being greeted by Chloe his faithful dog.
Bulo has worked hard all his life and knows most customers he meets and greets everyday. His story is very inspirational and filled with a determination to accomplish anything he sets his mind to.
After graduating from Shelby High School he went to Gardner-Webb to pursue a degree in business. In addition to school, he continued to work at his dad's Ora Market, whose main business was serving the mill people in the Dover/Ora Mill Village. While at Gardner-Webb he became statistician for the basketball team, whose coach was Eddie Holbrook. "Other than my daddy, the most influential man in my life is Coach Eddie Holbrook." Coach Holbrook preached the philosophy that "hard work brings results".
Hard work was Bulo Price's middle name. After graduation from GWU he continued to work at his dad's store, first in produce and then in the meat market. When his dad retired, Bulo bought the store. As the mills closed, tough and challenging times were ahead. He made a necessary decision and relocated to the Farmer's Market in Shelby. Then in 1986 he felt a strong call to the ministry. Ora was closed on Mondays so he began taking courses every Monday at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. It took him nine years to get his degree which he finished at Gardner-Webb Divinity School.
As if he didn't have enough to do, he also served on the Cleveland County School Board for 14 years. He kept the market open and became Pastor of Mulls Memorial Baptist Church for 17 years. He has been at Dover Baptist Church for the last 8 years. Dover is his home church. When the Farmers Market was going through renovations, he decided to move again. This time to 1026 East Marion Street in 2005. Another big challenge came his way in November 2010 when the Ora Supermarket burned down! Yet, Bulo Price said: "The Lord always has got a plan for you". He rebuilt the store and kept remembering that "hard work brings results". His store has become even more popular.
Dr. Bulo Price usually gets up around five in the morning and always greets the day's challenges with a positive attitude. He serves God and the people of Cleveland County, seven days a week. If you can't find him at the market, you can receive his words of biblical wisdom at 11 am on Sunday at Dover Baptist Church. We did and it was most inspirational. This man has always worked hard and his story, in itself, might make you tired. Oh, and not to mention he works with a personal trainer three days a week.

- M.A. Andrews