Fall 2022 Hardlines Strategies

Vince received a warm welcome from coworkers and customers, though there was a lot of surprise on his quick recovery. “Our customers were shocked to see me back so soon,” Vince says. “They just couldn’t believe it.” Vince continues to work through issues with his liver, as well as regaining weight that was lost throughout his illness, but overall he has few remaining ailments. “If you’ve never seen a walking miracle before, I’m your chance,” Vince says. “It is still sometimes hard for me to understand how sick I was because I don’t remember a lot of it, but my family’s amazement about where I was and where I am now throughout the recovery process is enough for me to feel very lucky and thankful.” Looking Ahead Vince says he is grateful for how far he has come, and he looks forward to helping Texas Tool & Equipment grow.

Future plans for the operation involve expansion, with the company in the process of adding a location in Amarillo, Texas. “I think if that goes well, we might expand into Odessa or El Paso,” Vince says. “We already have customers in those areas who know about us and visit our store once or twice a year. I wouldn’t mind stepping out of Lubbock to another location once my sons graduate from college.” In the meantime, Vince will continue doing what he loves: interacting with customers. “I love interacting with people, and I love my customers. My oldest son, who works at the store with me, can’t believe how many people I know,” Vince says. “I believe if you want to find success as a retail business, you need to get to know your customers. It truly makes a difference.” Vince enjoys the variety of people from all walks of life who he gets to work with on a daily basis. “I interact with farmers, ranchers, contractors, mechanics, professors, college

students, vendors and salespeople,” Vince says. “Getting to know them and what they do while providing our community with the tools necessary to succeed is fulfilling. I will be forever thankful for this job and the people I meet.” Vince’s love for interacting with people carries over to his relationship with Blish-Mize. “I have enjoyed getting to know employees from Blish-Mize. I’ve even met the president, Jonathan Mize, a couple of times,” Vince says. “That’s just not something that happens with larger companies. You very seldom get to know those people.” Blish-Mize also assists the operation by filling gaps in its product offerings. Vince says the operation purchases 350 to 400

different SKUs from Blish-Mize. “They fill a ton of holes that we

wouldn’t be able to fill if we had to go to different vendors,” he says. “They do us a great service as our wholesaler.”

Booth # 456

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