show( etitive lig ence The biggest on Earth

By Carla Waldemar

Things like wallpaper, because we're far more than framing.

"And things like power tools. We offer both depth and quality, including woodworking tools for the professional businesses in our area. Men, and especially contractors, like to see tools," Bill notes astutely. "And displays attract women, the decisionmakers. Women like things pretty."

((E VERYBODY'S concePt of a I)lumberyard is 2x4s, nails and drywall crammed floor-to-ceiling, with no room to move around," says Bill Keim, owner of Keim Lumber Co., Charm, Oh. And, yes, that's probably the way the yard got started when Bill's grandfather broke ground on less than two acres. In the middle of nowhere, that's all that was needed.

Still in the dead-center of nowhere (the Amish community of Charm boasts 100 residents, including Bill and his wife and six children), today the operation spreads across 40 acres, with close to 700,000 sq. ft. under one roof, housing 330 employees, a huge millwork operation, and maybe the biggest, baddest showroom in these parts (or any other you might name). Barnum & Bailey, eat your hearts out. Five years in planning and construction, the new, 122,000-sq.-ft showroom opened in January 2OO7 and does what Bill set out to do: dazzle.

"We're nowhere, so we need to draw people in," he exPlains. Nowhere, maybe, but with a fleet of 20 trucks that offer free delivery (still!) up to 150 miles distant, which covers not only Ohio, but has been newly expanded into West Virginia and Pennsylvania, too.

Keim Lumber serves both pros- mostly small builders and remodelers-and household heroes, a 50/50 split. But these customers are far from a captive market, even here in tiny Charm. Armies of big boxes offer strong competition-a major reason behind the new showroom.

"We've got to draw people in. So we have to do something to attract them that the boxes don't," says Billsuch as offering scores of hands-on displays of kitchen, bath, tools, windows, doors (Keim provides custom door manufacturing, too) and trim. (In the mill, over 200 profiles in eight wood species are routinely in stock, with two to four new profiles developed each week, and over 120 domestic and exotic hardwood species to choose from).

Keim's hardware supplier offered design assistance. Bill recalls, "Two guys came down from Michigan and we talked. I told them what I wanted: a lot of wood, because that's what we do: old-style Shaker woodwork. Also, lots of space so customers wouldn't feel crowded, and so they could see and touch our products. We didn't add a lot of SKUs-maybe some hardware-but expanded our displays. We wanted to show off all the things the boxes didn't carry-doors, trimwhere we don't compete directlY.

They've now got close to 90,000 more sq. ft. of "pretty" to admire than previously. Keim's new showroom occupies the middle floor between warehouse and office space in the three-story mega-building, the last segment to be completed. It boasts a unique "rotunda" entrance, drawing eyes from the highway. Once lured inside, customers are met by a service desk "designed like a town square, with lights and clock," explains Bill. ("We even held a wedding reception in the center last summer when our daughter, Kim, got manied.")

Bucking the niche-market trend, Keim aims to do all things for all people, which is helping the company confront the tough times we're all facing. New-home building is down, no two ways about it, Bills reports, but Keim is picking up the slack by servicing remodeling and decking projects, backed by the expert help his inside staff of 40-salespeople, estimators and phone bank-provide. Speaking of phones, Keim receives 1 ,200 calls daily (record number: 1,452 on April 21,2008. And you thought you were busy? ).

Thanks to early-morning PK meetings, fueled by vendors and their doughnuts, employees are up to date on products. There's also one point person assigned to each item, who can act as specialist, plus a service desk in the center of each department to field questions.

To beat the boxes, Keim offers additional customer benefits. including a Saturday morning express line. just like that in a supermarket, so those with just a few items can get in and out in a flash and not bc held up by folks planning projects. (Speakin-e of eliminating long lines. thcre are l9 restrooms. too.) Keim also offers a -57c discount for cash payment. "which seems to rcally hclp," says Bill-and that free delivery service. "Wc'rc fighting to maintain it despitc gasprice hikes." Those popular power tools are an even bie.ecr draw for Keim's Amish communiry (30c/c ot contractors. 600/o of LBM tradc, and 75% ctf employees) because employees arc adept at transfitrrning thcrn to run tln comprcssed air, hydraulic powcr. and rechar_eeable l2-volt batterics.

Due to popular dcntand. the new storc also includes a Carpentcrs Caf'c (run by another outfit). servins breakfzrst and lunch. Thcre's method to that particular rnadness. too. Knows Bill, "lt's a draw fbr thc pros who drive by in the early morning. Thcy come in tt'r eat. or pick up zr box lunch. and pick up a couple of other items. too."

Was the showLoom venture a big risk'/ Silly question. Most "ahal" dccisions are. und this is no exeeptirrrr. "Oh. yeiih." Bill agrces. "For years I'd talked about doing a new strtre. until f inally my wife, Eva, encouraged mc to -get serious about it."

It took a heap of cash. of coursc. But resulting sarlcs are "in the hi-ch -50s." Keim reports. He. akrng with his buyers, tlack thcnt constantly. "l look at our board fbotage in stock to see how much we've movcd per week, and also look at OSB. It's an intportant price itcnt, and onc of the first thin-es buildcrs look at. Il' you'rc good at that. you gct thc wholc or-dcr," he has lbund.

Bill took over the farnily business at asc 20, -soin-s on 50 years ago. and has nu regrets. "I _erew up in it. helping my dad, and nevcr did anything else. My goal is to havc. right in stock, cvcrything anybody could want." Herc arc some stats on what it t00k to achieve that in thc ncw builclin-u: 2.050 gallons of finish. -50.000 bd. fr. ol' chcrry (that's fivc semi-loads): 20 milcs of volta-[e wilin,q; 10.495 yarcls ot concretc. and 61J.000 lbs. of roof insulation-just in case anyboclv's

WITH BEAUTIFUL millwork at every turn, owner Bill Keim unveiled his 700,000-sq. ft. mega-showroom two years ago, asking. Factor in a l'amily's hopes, air.nbition. nncl hard r,',ork and what do you get? A dream come tnlc. Not to mcntion continued success.

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