Hardlines Strategies

CUSTOMER PROFILE

“The Fowler family was talking to their economic development director, who had been at one of the awards that I had won and watched my video and what I had accomplished,” she says. “She told them, ‘You need to call Ellie.’” After visiting Elkhart and meeting community leaders, Bowman accepted the opportunity and moved to the town in August 2025. The move to Elkhart was an opportunity for Bowman to apply the same principles that helped transform Prickly Pear Farm & Home. “When we came down here, they pretty much rolled out the red carpet,” Bowman says. “They had a group of people here to tell me how much they loved their town and wanted to see the business succeed.” Restoring Community Staples When Bowman arrived in Elkhart, she inherited the management of a business facing several challenges. When Bowman came onboard, she transitioned the store’s previous distributor to Blish-Mize, bringing in a new computer system and distribution strategy. One of her priorities was restocking products that local contractors relied on. “One of my first tasks was bringing back lumber and sheetrock and starting to build those relationships back with my customers and contractors,” Bowman says. Bowman also reviewed the store’s “When I took over management of the store, customers constantly asked me if the greenhouse would come back,” she says. “That made it clear how important it was to the community.” Reopening the greenhouse aligned with Bowman’s broader strategy of giving customers more reasons to visit the store beyond traditional hardware and lumber purchases. After hiring a greenhouse manager and handling updates in other operational areas, the greenhouse reopened and quickly became a centerpiece of the store’s grand reopening. shuttered greenhouse operation, which closed after the previous manager’s retirement.

With the nearest competitor hours away, Ellie Bowman stocks everything homeowners and contractors need so customers can rely on finding the right products close to home.

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7/23/26 12:01 PM