Kansas Country Living

hardware stores, lumberyards and general stores throughout the Midwest. In 1888 it was incorpo- rated as The Blish, Mize and Silliman Hardware Co. The second generation of the founders to helm the company was Edward’s son A.E. Mize, followed by A.E.’s son John Mize Sr., then John Mize Jr., who retired from active management in 2018 after 56 years on the job and was succeeded by his son, Jonathan. John Mize Jr. also has a daughter, who he named Blish Mize to preserve and honor the Blish name, as the Blishes did not have children. Blish Mize Connor is the company’s communica- tions director. When he retired as CEO in May 2018, John Mize Jr. reflected on his tenure, which started in 1962 when he joined the company full time after college working sales territories in Colorado and Nebraska. He was later promoted to field sales manager and traveled the company’s entire servic- ing area. He held the position of executive chair- man, president and CEO for about 35 years, and the company saw incredible growth and acquisi- tions under his leadership. “We are a family-owned, employee-focused company, and we are extremely dedicated to our customers,” he said when he transitioned out of active management and into the sole role of chairman of the board. “I look back on our history and feel gratitude to so many who have shown their faith in us.” He added, “There’s plenty of competition, and we have to prove ourselves worthy every day. Strong customer service and making sure our

customers know we care about their business is a huge part of that.” Customers Feel the Family Focus A fellow century-old Kansas business, Home Lumber and Supply headquartered in Ashland since 1905, says the family attitude makes a differ- ence and has continued with the next generation of leadership. “We have a nice relationship based on mutual respect,” said Hervey Wright, assistant general manager for Home Lumber and Supply, which operates 14 full-service lumber and building mate- rials stores in rural markets across the state. “They do what they say they are going to do. A phone conversation is as good as a handshake deal would have been back in 1905. A lot of our store manag- ers and sales managers have business relationships as well as friendships with the Blish-Mize team. And when you go to the buying market, it’s a dif- ferent feel than you get with other distributors, where it’s strictly business and there’s little interac- tion. At the Blish-Mize market, you see Jonathan Mize, Blish Mize and their dad there, shaking hands, talking to folks. In the evening, it’s like sitting down to a family dinner together.” Brent and Megan Melby have leaned on the Blish-Mize team for everything from purchas- ing inventory at prices that maximize profit- ability to redesigning the store they bought four years ago in Scandia in far northcentral Kansas. They say their sales rep for Melby’s Home Center visits often enough to be able to call their kids by

“A phone conversation is as good as a handshake deal would have been back in 1905.”

14 KANSAS COUNTRY LIVING 

JUNE 2019