Spring 2021 Hardlines

THE PRESIDENT’S REPORT

A Meaningful Milestone

Contents Ask the Expert 4 Online Traffic 8 Featured Products 10 Setting Up for Success 18 Spring Market Preview 20 150 Years in the Making 28 Customer Feature 34 Diamond Building Supply Customer Feature 46 Rufe’s Paint Store Hardware House 48 News 50 On the Cover Titus Chupp, owner of Diamond Building Supply in Clark, Missouri,

T his year, we celebrate our sesquicentennial, our 150th anniversary. For any business to last 150 years and be in the fifth generation

of family leadership, we must have someone to thank, and we do: you, our customers. You are the cornerstone of our accomplishments. This year, we will celebrate you and your commitment to your business and ours. We feel a deep connection to our customers, and most are like family to us. That connection is the No. 1 reason we’ve survived and thrived. I am proud to lead this company into a new age. We’ve been able to stay small enough to be agile and large enough to embrace technological and programmatic advances along the way. I’m confident our founders—David P. Blish, Edward Mize and Jack Silliman— could not have imagined our world would look as it does today. When our company was founded, even our headquarters in Atchison, Kansas, was a much different place. Those men set out to build a business that would help the wagoneers headed west on the Oregon Trail, outfitting them with goods to last through their difficult journey. If you know the retail landscape, this is not unlike what we do today: helping you, our customers, navigate those challenging roads that lay ahead. Blish-Mize has helped its customers through numerous local, regional and national challenges, including most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic. I am not sure what our forefathers would say, but 2020 was our most demanding year to date. As a company, we did our best to thrive, as many of you did as well. I am still so proud of our team and their commitment to making life-changing adjustments practically overnight. We know you did, too, and will continue to do so into the unforeseen future. As retailers, you can relate to our company ethos that honors the customer and makes sure that “if we don’t take care of our customers, someone else will.” That mantra helped guide us through 2020 and will continue to be what illuminates our future. The Blish-Mize vision for the future remains optimistic and full of growth. We will continue to align ourselves with our customers’ success and create programs that drive retail in all avenues. We will continue investing in our employees, our facilities and new technologies, and practice area expertise while endeavoring to steer clear of industry fads and pitfalls. Our family extends its sincere thanks to our customers for sticking with us for 150 years, as a few of you have. While we know that challenges lay ahead for our industry, know that we are here to help you in every way to make sure you also have a long-term success story. Jonathan D. Mize CEO and President jonathan@blishmize.com

and his wife Christina built a brand new store last year.

Advertising Information Hardlines Strategies is published twice every year by Blish-Mize. Copyright 2021. For advertising rates and deadlines, please contact:

Blish Connor Blish-Mize

223 S. Fifth St., Box 249 Atchison, Kansas 66002 Toll free: (800) 995-0525 (913) 367-1250

(913) 375-2505 (cell) (913) 367-0667 (fax) Email: blish.connor@blishmize.com

Blish-Mize isamember-owner ofDistributionAmerica

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