Page 30 - Spring 2013 Hardlines Strategies

30 Spring 2013 • Hardlines Strategies
VENDOR PROFILE
Four of those vendors have earned
their places in the Blish-Mize warehouse,
not only for the ways they’ve led the
industry in innovation, but also for their
support of the independent channel.
“We are proud to be associated with
these featured manufacturers of quality
products,” Blish-Mize Chairman and
CEO John Mize, a 50-year veteran of
the industry, says. “In the 142-year
history of our company, Stanley would
be one of the first vendors that our
founders bought from. Followed by at
least a 140-year relationship with the
family firm of Vaughan & Bushnell,
whose quality striking tools have been
in our catalog for those many years.
True Temper was our first source for
long-handled items, starting back in the
late 1800s. Naturally, Black & Decker
came later, after the invention of power
tools, and has been an important part
of our growth. In the plumbing side of
our business, Genova, another family
firm, continues to be the source of
choice for independent retailers all over
this country.”
Vaughan & Bushnell:
Side by Side
The story of Vaughan & Bushnell is
the story of a manufacturer and retailer
working together. Five generations ago,
young blacksmith Alexander Vaughan
brought his new bride to Chicago along
with an idea for a new tool: a post hole
digger to help farmers who were starting
to use more steel posts for their fences.
Since he needed a blacksmith shop where
he could do his work, he found a room
behind a hardware store owned by Sidney
Bushnell. In 1869, Vaughan received a patent
for his new post-hole digger, and he began
using Bushnell’s store as a place to sell it.
In order to help the Vaughan business
through the aftermath of the Great
Chicago Fire of 1871, Bushnell offered
funding to help, and a few years later,
in 1882, the company incorporated into
Vaughan & Bushnell.
By this time, products from Vaughan
& Bushnell included custom tools for
a variety of trades. Soon, the company
staked its fame on the hammer.
While Sidney Bushnell’s hardware store
is now a part of history, Vaughan &
Bushnell has made connections with the
hardware retail community in new ways.
“We’ve been selling to Blish-Mize for
as long as I can remember,” Vaughan
& Bushnell President Charlie Vaughan
says. “We realized that in the late ‘90s,
the coming of the big-box retailer
presented challenges for the independent
retailer. But we’ve discovered that the
independent retailer is a loyal customer.”
Vaughan says he is committed to
helping independent retailers in whatever
way he can, especially when it comes
to meeting the individual needs of a
particular store.
“Big-box retailers do things in a
certain way, no matter what part of the
country they’re in. But we realize that
every market may be slightly different
in what it needs,” he says. “We’re
committed to helping those specific
needs so both we as a company and
independent retailers can be stronger.”
At a Glance
Vaughan & Bushnell
Year Founded: 1869, by Alexander Vaughan
President: Charlie Vaughan
Headquarters: Hebron, Ill.
Principal Products: Hammers, saws,
pry-bars, axes
Ames True Temper:
Building the Country
Ames True Temper, founded in 1774
by Oliver Ames, is older than the U.S.,
and played a key role in building
the country.
“There are an incredible number of
iconic American monuments, events or
slices of Americana where Ames True
Temper played a notable supporting
role,” says Joe Saffron, director of
marketing and product development for
Ames True Temper. “Our tools were used
in New York City, in helping build the
subway, the Empire State Building and
the Brooklyn Bridge.”
The company also had a role in work
on the Hoover Dam, Golden Gate Bridge
Builders of the Industry
How Four Companies Have Earned Their
Places in the Independent Channel
I ndependent retailers
know their success,
in part, lies in having
high-quality products
from reputable vendors.
That’s why Blish-Mize
anchored its product
selection with name
brands from vendors
with long histories in
the industry.