Jackts be nimble

mute to work. Plus, Wiggins was built upon lumbering and still retains a plywood plant and three pole facilities.

Jack's Center, where Jeffry's wife, Morgan, also works' managing the paperwork, billing and marketing, boasts a staff of seven, "and I trained every one of them," says the boss, making customer service a top priority. "Two guys have been here since day one."

Why do they like it here? "It's a good working atmosphere," Jeffry maintains. "We make a great team. And I'm a pretty good boss," he adds when prodded for a comment: "very understanding. Around here, we put family needs first."

During the golden years when Jack's first opened, its builders were completing 20 houses ayear, and figured as '7O7o of the company's customers. Now, down to six new homes in 20 I I, the ratio has swung-deliberately on Jeffry's part-to 607o, with 5O7o as his goal. And he's drawing more of these d-i-yers by design, not accident.

f lre R r-or of people reading this magazine, Jeffry IJP.te.s grew up working in his dad's lumberyardhauling bags, waiting on customers, sweeping the proverbial floor. Then, like some of you, too, he felt the urge to strike out on his own.

He did some reconnoitering, found a nearby town where new homes were sprouting, and decided to earn their business. To open his own yard there, he had a metal structure built-like dad's but a tad more compact-then completed all the interior work himself, with the help of a couple of buddies. By putting in sweat equity, he says, he not only achieved the "clean and modern" operation of his dreams but-important-saved himself a pile of cash.

Jeffry opened Jack's Home Improvement Center (named after his dad and mentor) in Wiggins, Ms., exactly nine years ago. Today, he' s 29 Do the math and gasp.

Not a big fan of academic learning, Jeffry picked up his business acumen-and, as we'Il see, there's no shortage of it-on the job, based on innate smarts and passion. "I had the heart to be successful, to go out and do my own thing. I admired what my dad was doing. So, at 20, I picked this community and brought in lumber and hardware, and I moved my family." True to form, "I married young," he adds.

Why Wiggins? "There was a void-no lumberyardand there's a real good highway, 45, to feed off of. They call it 'Main Street Mississippi'," serving the countryside of 30,000 as well as tiny Wiggins, pop. 5,000, sought after as an ideal place to live for many who do a 3O-mile com-

"We adapted for the downturn. I changed the store layout, adding more hardware, grills, and John Deere toys where we used to have sheetrock mud right out front. Now, it's a different set-up, with more of an old-fashioned hardware store appeal, so people can come in, walk the aisles, and see all the stuff. My favorite customer," he adds, "is the one who brings in a broken part and we can fix it, so they don't have to call a plumber or electrician."

Christmas promotions. The company launched a contest with prize of $150 in merchandise; for every $50 spent, a customer was entered in the drawing. And it worked firfe. "They'll have a bill of $38, then go back and buy something else to raise it to the $5O,"Jeffry reports. "Our goal was to raise the average transaction from $30 to $50, and it's working."

Another holiday promotion was called John Deere Bucks. For every $10 someone spendt on one of the Deere toys, he received a chance to win a whole package of the popular gifts. Jack's had Case Cash going, too: Buy a Case knife and be entered in a drawing for a complete set. And a Christmas Open House featured photos with Santa, mailed to each kid who sat on his lap.

An earlier promo, offered as a community thank-you for its support, was Jack's Antique Car Show, which drew 125 vehicles and 600 attendees-"a big event for us, and fun for the whole family." Naturally, attendees were offered coupons to use within the store. Jeffry also serves on the town's Economic Development Committee and buys his business supplies-paper, whatever-right here in his home base. "Wiggins should grow, and I want to be part of it," he explains.

Jack's product mix is also changing with the times. "We listen to what customers are asking for and make a list of what we don't have. If three or four a week want the same thing, we add it."

Or add it simply because Jeffry's got his eyes open. "There's an RV camp with 300 spots in Flint Creek Park, so when campers sign in, they're handed a coupon for 10Vo off whatever they need-maybe a sewer hose, a power supply."

So far, there are no looming boxes to prey on his business, but the prospect doesn't make him blink. "Our prices are competitive, our quality is excellent, and our service? No comparison."

That kind of service is Jack's forte. The extra mile? You bet. "If ever there's something wrong, I'll take care of it," says Jeffry. He talks about the guy who'd bought a Green Egg grill and came in six months later saying, "I can't figure it out." Jeffry's response: "Buy some meat and go home. I'll stop by around 4 o'clock and cook your supper."

He also takes the big-picture economic slide in strideagain, by adapting. "If you're a product in my store, you gotta work for me," he insists. "l look at each square foot of the store, to get the profit I need from it. For instance, we had a strong power tool department, but nowadays they aren't selling fast enough. So I cut back 64 sq. ft." To spin off the excess, he sent out an e-blast to his customers. announcing Tool Closeout Tuesdays.

That's another way you can tell he's 2O-something: Not only those e-blasts ("Customers tell me they don't leave home in the morning until they've checked to see if there's a deal today"), but other social-media venues go to work for him, such as a strong Facebook presence, which Morgan oversees.

That's how customers learned about Jack's recent Building-hodu<ts.om

Talk about service: When Hurricane Katrina was forecast to hit on a Monday, Jack's stayed open all day Sunday, when it's normally closed, so folks could stock up on supplies. Then, after being slammed by the storm on Monday, when the store sustained substantial damageholes in the roof, outbuildings gone with the wind, no power for two weeks-"I opened back up on Tuesday, by myself," Jeffry notes. "With banks closed and credit cards inoperable, we took checks and trusted folks. It was chaos for a long time."

In these times-tough in a different way-he's back to trusting once again, by extending credit to good customers. "So far, it's been okay; I stay on top ofit," he says. "They come to me and I try to take care of them."

"The economy has bottomed out here," in his view, "but the worst is over. We've lowered our operating costs. so we'll be fine." His modus operandi: "Learn by common sense. Learn by doing. And have the hearl for it.

"I decided early that I was going to be somebody-whatever I decided to do, I'd be the most successful at it, because my heart is in it." Sounds like a lumber guy.

Carla Waldemar