Fall 2021Hardlines Strategies

COMPANY NEWS

150 Years of Service Celebrating the Longevity of Blish-Mize Employees

At Blish-Mize, we know our people are our strength. So we couldn’t possibly celebrate our 150th anniversary without celebrating the employees who have gotten us where we are today. Strategies magazine spoke with two longtime Blish-Mize employees to hear about their years of service and what 150 years of Blish-Mize means to them.

Strategies : What can you tell us about your time at Blish-Mize? Don Miller (DM): I was born and raised in Atchison and worked summers during high school and college picking orders. After graduating from the University of Arkansas, I was hired as a sales trainee in January 1977. I worked a couple of weeks in the office and then went out on the road traveling with various sales reps. My first territory was as a “fill in” until a full-time rep in the area was hired. I worked six months in a territory that happened to be centered around Fayetteville, Arkansas, where I had just graduated. I stayed with my old college roommate while living there. I would head out in the morning with my Blish- Mize catalog to make sales calls as he headed out with his school books to class. I was assigned a territory and moved to Ponca City, Oklahoma, for a few years and then moved to a territory in the Kansas City area closer to the home office. I traveled for Blish-Mize for more than 17 years. I then came into the office as a buyer and merchandiser for 12 years in the lawn and garden, electrical and building supplies departments. All of that experience assisted me in a move to the Strategies : What can you tell us about your time at Blish-Mize? Bobby Armstrong (BA): I’ve been here for 22 years, and it’s been a steady and rewarding job. I was working for Galbraith Wholesale, and Blish-Mize bought the company, so I stayed on. I’ve worked in several areas, including receiving, shipping and picking. I currently work in store development. Strategies : What do you enjoy about your current role and working for Blish-Mize? BA: I like being able to see the end result of putting in a new store or revamping an existing store and the interaction with the customers.

marketing and e-commerce department for eight years. I have been the director of customer service and e-commerce marketing manager for the last six years. Strategies : What do you enjoy about your current role and working for Blish-Mize? DM: I work with some great people who are very knowledgeable and customer oriented. Daily challenges with customer issues and inquiries keep you focused and sharp. I also enjoy all the interactions. Strategies : What does 150 years of Blish-Mize mean to you? DM: It’s a financially sound and customer-focused business. A family company that is large enough to take care of any customer or chain—but also able to make the needed changes in a relatively short period of time. Strategies : What is one thing most people don’t know about you? DM: I am a big Kansas City Chiefs fan, and I actually attended Super Bowl IV when the Chiefs won their first championship. I also enjoy playing golf and spending time with my family.

Don Miller Director of Customer Service and E-Commerce Marketing Manager

Strategies : What does 150 years of Blish-Mize mean to you? BA: Stability. Most companies don’t get to see this kind of longevity. Strategies : What is one thing most people don’t know about you? BA: I’ve been playing first-person PC games since the mid 1990s. The first PC game I played was the original Wolfenstein. The other

Bobby Armstrong Store Development

games that were standouts are Quake, Unreal and the Elder Scrolls series.

44 Fall 2021 • Hardlines Strategies