Small town, big success

But in what Jim declares is a "rural community," you don't put on airs. "We're just a jack of all trades," he says, serving a customer base that's tilted toward the pros, who build and remodel custom homes-"no tracts!" But he's open seven days a week, which lures a healthy slice of walk-in traffic, too-especially since the outfit's most recent remodeling scheme, a major move. "When we first opened, we had a 30,000-sq. ft. sales floor. Now we've expanded to 50,000 sq. ft., with two full-time kitchen and bath designers. Kitchen and bath are a very big focus for us, with 5,000 sq. ft. And the ladies love it."

This is the latest and greatest of expansions, but it's just par for the course. "You start small, and you learn as you grow. I like to change things every winter-always have a project going: Build new displays, rearrange departments-especially to be more female-friendly," he explains. "l joined my co-op in the '80s, and I haven't looked back. We've developed strong relationships over

/-i nllreolrs, Orr.. rs rHe small town (pop. 3,641) that \falmost wasn't. It calls itself "the old French city (Gall = Gaul = French), but that's only because of some sly shenanigans back in the Old Country. In the late 1700s, a French speculator sold deeds to a promised New World nirvana, but when the gullible French settlers showed up at this southernmost tip of what's now Ohio, voila: nothing.

If they'd only waited till 1988, Jim Thomas could have helped them out. That's the year he took over an existing establishment, remodeled it as a building center with the help of a co-op's planning experts, and opened Thomas Do it Center.

Gallipolis is pronounced gall-a-po-less, which sounds a lot more Southern than French, and so does Jim's honeyed drawl. To make his way through college, he'd worked as a painter and roofer, which-you know how it goessparked an interest in the whole darn building trade. After learning the ropes in another small yard, he felt ready to launch his own operation-which he then expanded, remodeled, remodeled, and expanded-well, you get the idea.

2O-some years. My rep doesn't preach too hard, but if he sees something we need to do, he recommends it."

One of Jim's more ambitious projects, a few years back, involved building an actual two-story house under his 24ft. ceiling in the middle of the showroom, geared to display different window, door and siding options. Talk about a wow factor!

Even before that, Jim had added a rental center: a standalone facility right next door ("which is the best way to handle rental, because it's a little messier, noisier, with equipment like excavators and Bobcats," he explains.) Plus, he adds, "If it were inside and someone bought new flooring, they'd expect the installation equipment for free," he laughs. No sir-the rental division is not only a service. it's a prime profit center.

Jim doesn't only add SKUs and square feet, he adds locations-well, one, anyway. He launched a second store in Point Pleasant, W.V.-only six miles away, but, crossing a state line and two rivers, a much lengthier perception leap. "We hadn't had any West Virginia business before," he documents. The newer store serves a different demographic, too-this ttme,80Vo walk-in traffic in its 20,000 square feet. Never one to let good-enough alone, Jim is in the midst of remodeling this location, too. "Customers like a cleaner look; we're getting lots of compliments," he testifies. "And we've added SKUs in most departments."

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Together the two operations function with a staff of 85.

There's competition from the boxes-of course there is-but Thomas has the edge on them in several ways: not only experienced, knowledgeable staff, including three dedicated outside salespeople who forge long-term relationships with loyal contractor customers, but also a reputation for stocking all premium-grade lumber. "Contractors appreciate that quality. We're heavy into lumber and building materials; it's a large portion of our business."

And, best yet, it's delivered with speed and passion. Delivery, in fact, is Thomas' fort6. It enables him to dominate the market and maintain volume. The company boasts a fleet of 20 trucks-smaller to tractor-trailers-which deliver, for a small charge, anywhere and everywhere, and in any amount, in a 60-mile radius. Thomas also logs a robust amount of special-order business, particularly in windows, doors and stairways-high-margin items that please those custom builders and the renovators of the town's historic homes.

But how do you get the message out? That's the focus of Jim's daughter. She handles all advertising ventures, from radio and TV to mailers. But the best avenue-no surprise-is word of mouth. "I've been here long enough," Jim says, "and I'm active with customers, always on the sales floor." (Online? Not yet on the radar. "But we're working on it. We know we need to.")

The economy has treated Thomas, and the city of Gallipolis, pretty gently. "Rural areas are different," he explains: "Not the peaks and valleys of cities. We're more stable, so we haven't had to cut back. In fact, we've grown every year, even in a recession." No layoffs, either: "We've got good people, so I don't want to lose them. I'll always find work for them." Besides, "Building around here is on par-not a lot of slowdown."

Yet stability-not to mention growth-doesn't just happen. And Jim knows that full well; he's seen way too many independents go out of business in the past few years. His advice: Keep renovating, keep on moving. "If you stand still, they'll step on you.

Not gonna happen here any time soon.

Carla Waldemar