Fall 2023 Hardlines Strategies

“We made a phone call, and sure enough, it had been for sale for quite some time and vacant for well over a decade and a half,” Tyler says. “My dad looked at me, and he asked what I thought. I told him, ‘I think I can make a hardware store out of this.’” The store rehab was an enormous undertaking, but according to Tyler, the price was right. Still, it not only required a significant investment of cash, but also sweat equity, as Tyler and Rocky preferred to take on as much of the work as they could using only two outside laborers. Work on the Kirtland store took approximately 12 months to complete, and once it was ready, Tyler met with their Blish-Mize sales representative Denver Randol to discuss proposals for store inventory and layout. Relationship With Blish-Mize The Blish-Mize relationship dates back to the former Aztec Hardware location and owners who did business for years with Amarillo Hardware and continued to do business with Blish-Mize after the Amarillo Hardware acquisition. Tyler says his relationship with Randol developed when he moved back to New Mexico to work in the business and was looking to open the Kirtland store. “Denver and Clay Uhrmacher put together an extremely generous package,” Tyler says. “It was a no-brainer for us to continue and expand our partnership with them to set the Kirtland store.” Tyler says the positive results of the Kirtland store set and the feedback and hands-on approach Blish-Mize provided—along with Randol’s constant support and presence—only strengthened the relationship between the two companies.

the community since 1904, with an acquisition offer. The owners accepted Rocky’s offer, leading to a second life for the business. With the integration of Aztec Hardware into the new ESSCO building in Aztec, a new concept was born—a hardware store with a very well-stocked waterworks division. With an eye on his future retirement, Rocky invited his son Tyler to join him in the business, to learn the ropes and one day buy him out. A Father-Son Team At the time, Tyler was working as a supervisor at a copper mine in Salt Lake City, Utah, but he missed the Four Corners and his family. When his father presented him the opportunity to join and grow the family business, Tyler made the move back to New Mexico with his wife, Kallie. “It’s kind of a unique situation, being a father-son team,” Tyler says. “We’re a lot alike and we spend a lot of time with each other away from work. We both like to camp, fish and hunt.” Tyler acknowledges that there is risk involved for friends and family to work together. “We were really cautious at first, but we set some ground rules to help this work,” he says. “We didn’t want it to ruin our relationship outside of work, and we still wanted to be able to hang out with each other on the weekends. I’ve been here for over two years now and couldn’t have asked for a better relationship with my dad, the business and how things have gone. And, we’re still hanging out on Saturdays.” Rocky says the partnership is a winning combination. “When we teamed up together, it really accelerated the company’s growth and profitability,” he says. Strong Ambitions With Tyler now onboard, he and Rocky were ready for a new challenge, and there was a focus on improving and expanding the hardware side of the business. Sales for ESSCO piping and fittings alone generated several million dollars in annual sales revenue in 2022. However, the margins for Aztec Hardware were even better. With that in mind, they decided to revamp and reset the Aztec Hardware store—with Tyler taking the lead on the project. They also began the search for a new store location in the surrounding communities that were underserved in hardware offerings outside of Farmington, a hub for the Four Corners with many retail stores and restaurants. “We always tell ourselves if we’re not growing, we’re dying,” Tyler says. A Diamond in the Rough When searching for the location for a second hardware store, Tyler and Rocky drove around the surrounding areas, looking for unique buildings or real estate for sale. Tyler describes how one day they saw an ugly, bright orange building off the side of the road in nearby Kirtland, New Mexico, surrounded by a jungle of weeds and trash with a “for sale” sign posted. The building was less than ideal, but the location on U.S. Route 64 was perfect. It was a spot they must have driven past dozens of times.

The stores carry Midwest Fastener, STIHL power tools, Cabot and Minwax stains and Valspar paint, stains and sundries.

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