HardlinesStrategies_Fall_2024

CUSTOMER PROFILE

They made plans to move the lumberyard to its current location on Washington Avenue, the main thoroughfare of Navasota. At the same time, their distributor was closing operations. What some might call coincidence was maybe more left to fate. Their representative at that company, Jason Ealand joined the sales team at Blish-Mize, and he brought Baylor Lumber along with him. Company bookkeeper and Gerald’s daughter Julia Schomburg says their long-time relationship with Ealand was key to their decision in choosing to work with Blish-Mize. “Blish-Mize was the only supplier that could send us the same products we were already selling and more,” Schomburg says. At the time, the business sold primarily lumber and carried a small array of hardlines. As they moved into their new building, they had the opportunity to expand their product offerings, including paint products and other home building materials such as windows, doors and foundation materials. “We’ve grown a lot as a business since expanding our hardware products,” Kolbasinski says. “Moving to a more visible location in town also helped grow our sales.” Ealand recalls when Baylor Lumber was smaller and seeing what it’s grown into makes him proud of what they’ve built.

Building materials have always been central to Baylor Lumber’s sales, and the company owns a lumberyard a few miles from its main store.

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32 Fall 2024 • Hardlines Strategies