Hardlines Strategies

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A Partnership for Growth Bowman says her partnership with Blish-Mize has been a key piece of the store’s transformation. When she arrived in Elkhart, she knew she wanted to transition the store’s distributor to Blish-Mize, one she knew and trusted. That familiarity allowed Bowman to focus on rebuilding the business rather than learning a new system or developing new supplier relationships. “I knew how the reset process would go, and I knew the team I was getting,” Bowman says. Once the decision was made, Bowman says Blish-Mize moved quickly to help reposition the business. The company worked with her to develop a complete store reset, helping design assortments, create merchandising plans and coordinate the transition. Clay Uhrmacher, Blish-Mize vice president of sales and marketing, says the project was hands-on from the start. Every step of the way, Blish-Mize was there. He says Blish-Mize helped move the store out of its previous distribution model, secured discounts and credits during the conversion process and then sent teams into the store to redesign layouts and install new product programs.

When Ellie Bowman took over the store, she partnered with Blish-Mize to complete a full store reset, redesign merchandise assortments and strengthen the business for the future.

Booth # 100

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28 Fall 2026 • Hardlines Strategies

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7/17/26 3:50 PM