Bill Graves fell into his profession by accident.

The 42-year-old manager of Dillard's at Hamilton Place was a mass communication major at Middle Tennessee State University when he began working part time at a major department store in nearby Nashville.

"I started selling clothes at Castner Knott," he said. "It wasn't what I was going to do for a living. I wanted to be an advertising executive. But once I got on the horse, I stayed with it."

Mr. Graves admits that managing a huge department store (in two locations at Hamilton Place) is a big responsibility.

"I don't work 40-hour weeks," he said. "It's usually around 50."

The bottom line, he said, is that he likes what he does.

"One of the things that has kept me in retail is Dillard's. Our store carries very nice products and the people who go along with it. I like our merchandise, our employees and our customers. It's rewarding."

Mr. Graves said he's also impressed with Dillard's marketing strategy.

"Our focus is mostly on print," he said. "When you advertise in magazines and newspapers, the advertising can stay on a coffee table indefinitely."

Dillard's reputation of being an upscale department store is because of the quality of merchandise it carries, he said, noting that not only does Dillard's stock designer brands, Dillard's also has its own private labels.

"Dillard's doesn't try to throw high prices at its customers," Mr. Graves said. "We bring in fair prices."

As manager, it's not unusual to find Mr. Graves prowling through either of the stores.

"I'm always learning as much as I can about the merchandise we sell," he said. "And I can honestly say that I probably know more about ladies fashions than most men."

Mr. Graves and his wife and two young daughters moved to Chattanooga three years ago.

"It's a wonderful city," he said.

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