Allen D. Anderson was born and raised in Columbia, Mississippi and graduated from Columbia High School. After graduating from Pearl River Community College in 1968, he attended The University of Southern Mississippi. He then joined the Sherwin Williams Company and became a store manager until 1981 when he left and opened Anderson Design Center in 1982.

What began as a hometown paint and flooring retailer with five employees, Anderson Design Center has become a regional industry leader with two retail stores and two commercial divisions. The business now employs approximately 40 individuals and does business as far as Meridian, the Mississippi Gulf Coast, and the Florida panhandle.

Allen is married to Paula Moore Anderson and they have three children and several wonderful grandchildren. He and Paula are active members of Temple Baptist Church.