Erin Napier may’ve unwittingly stirred up controversy recently when she referred to a discussion with husband Ben as a “state of the union” in an Instagram post.
But while the HGTV star may have been exasperated by fans who interpreted the phrase as a political comment, suggesting the Napiers “need to take their share of responsibility” for the country’s problems, the reality it that Erin and Ben are changing the world.
But they’re doing it one house or business at a time.
And it’s not by accident.
According to Southern Living, Ben and Erin came out of a college with a plan to make a difference in Erin’s hometown of Laurel.
“It was kind of fake it till you make it,” said Erin Napier. “It was about sparking curiosity, getting people to say, ‘Oh, something’s going on here—I wonder what it is.’ “
In 2008, a full eight years before HGTV came calling, Ben and Erin Napier and their friends decided to take action after seeing their beloved hometown fall into disrepair, with a downtown area that was largely abandoned.
“When we all came home from college—Mallorie and Jim Rasberry, Emily and Josh Nowell, Ben, and me—we were the only people who lived downtown,” Erin told Southern Living. “It was just us and the feral cats. For the six of us, all in our twenties, it was like a game: How can we make downtown Laurel feel alive again?”
The group founded Laurel Main Street. “We all did what we could,” Erin said. “Josh had done some real estate development. He had a bird’s-eye view. Ben and I were the storytellers. I would take photos of a corner downtown that people might overlook. I kept a journal online, and I mocked up some murals in Photoshop. We put some lights in the trees and had these potluck parties and invited our friends from Hattiesburg. We were just like, ‘Yeah, Laurel’s a cool place—you didn’t know?’ “
‘Home Town’ Was a Game Changer for the Napiers and for Laurel
The 2016 debut of Ben and Erin Napier’s show, “Home Town” on HGTV cranked the couple’s efforts into high gear.
Ben and Erin have now renovated more than one-hundred homes in the small town, not to mention totally revitalizing Wetumpka, Alabama, Fort Morgan, Colorado and Sebring, Florida in three seasons of “Home Town Takeover.”
According to the Wall Street Journal, Ben and Erin’s impact can be measured in dollars and cents, especially in Laurel.
In 2022, the city collected $10.64 million in sales taxes, a $2 million increase from 2016, according to the mayor’s office. And a tax on sales at restaurants and hotels brought the town $2.26 million in 2022, compared with $1.46 million in 2016.
Another tax on hotels, motels, bed-and-breakfasts and short-term rentals hit the books in September 2022. That generates at least $30,000 a month for the city.
Erin and Ben, with their businesses including the Laurel Mercantile and the Scotsman Co woodworking shop, employ between 80 and 100 people at any given time.
Laurel currently has about 17,000 residents. In 2016, when “Home Town” debuted, the median home price there was $119,000 according to the Wall Street Journal. Now Realtor.com lists the median home price in Laurel at more than double that at $242,500.
That impact promises to grow. Ben and Erin Napier have signed on with HGTV through at least 2027, with at least 32 more episodes. Which means 32 more Laurel homes renovated by the pair.
And they’re still working with their original college crew of Mallorie and Jim Rasberry, Emily and Josh Nowell on their a brand new show, “Home Town: Inn This Together.” The show features the longtime friends’ efforts to convert a vacant building in downtown Laurel into a boutique hotel.
In a post on the hotel’s Instagram page, they write, “Laurel is back in the spotlight—this time with a renovation like you’ve never seen before. No cottages. No fixer-uppers. Just one historic 25,000-square-foot building (yep, that’s us!) about to be transformed into something incredible. We can’t wait for you to follow along on this journey!”
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How Ben & Erin Napier Are Changing the World