Strategies_Spring2024

A Lasting Legacy Lowell passed away in 2022—a year after he received his Golden Hammer Award for 50 years of service in the hardware industry. The award was presented to him by Jonathan Mize, Blish-Mize chairman and CEO; Clay Uhrmacher, vice president working alongside his dad as priceless. “He was a good role model, and I got to spend my childhood with him and work with him for 20-plus years,” he says. “That’s not something most people can say.” According to Mike, after Lowell’s passing, many people in the industry, including Lowell’s customers from his time as a salesperson and contacts he had known for 50 years, reached out in a show of support. “He had a lot of friends and a big following in the industry,” Mike says. “Knowing he made an impression on so many people makes me feel very honored.” of sales and marketing; and Funk. Mike describes the time he spent

added Generac generators, Valspar trim paint, Rust-Oleum products and Forney welding supplies. Funk says the changes better align with the high-quality products the building center’s customers enjoy. They also expanded the store’s product offerings in the plumbing and electrical departments and added products to lawn and garden, heating and cooling, automotive, RV, rope and tie down, masonry, door locks and hardware. Funk managed the vendor relationships and buyback opportunities throughout the reset process. “Randy played a significant role in the decisions for this reset,” Mike says. “I trusted him and relied on Blish-Mize to use all of their data and expertise to reset the store and showroom.” For his part, Funk says he appreciates the faith Mike showed him and Blish-Mize throughout the process.

They then started the reset process in July, which took approximately one month to complete. They reconfigured the space and changed the direction of the aisles to gain another 96 feet. New signage and aisle violators were also installed to improve the store’s appearance and customer shopping experience. Mike describes the result as more departmentalized, with each department now having its own aisle. “Due to the extra space, we were able to create longer aisles and keep things together,” he says. They also relocated the checkout counter to a more convenient location near the front door—so when customers enter the store, they directly approach the counter, allowing employees to greet them as they walk in. Product changes included switching the power tools and hand tools to Diablo and Milwaukee. They also

739

26 Spring 2024 • Hardlines Strategies