THE TOOL SHED CELEBRATES 40 Years of Belng “WHERE THE
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FEATURED FEATURED DISTR DISTR I I BUTOR BUTOR by Tom by Tom by Tom Hammel THE TOOL SHED Hammel THE TOOL SHED CELEBRATES 40 years of being “where THE PROS Tool up” Toni, have intertwined their marriage at the age of 18. Howard Martin is and business successfully despite an avid woodworker who advises all the pitfalls that can occur when customers on all types of woodwork- working with a spouse. Nils jokingly ing questions. Don Frank’s experi- says that he’s fired Toni 500 times, ence as a mechanic makes him but then adds that she has quit The Tool Shed’s automotive expert. probably 1,000 times. Warehouse manager Doug Carver rounds out the core team. How does one work side by side with your spouse and keep from When Nils launched the busi- or 40 years, The Tool Shed ruining the marriage or the business? ness, The Tool Shed sold mechanics in Greenville, South Caro- It helps to have separate offices as tools and garage equipment. The lina, has built its business well as different job functions. Toni Tool Shed still features mechanic’s and reputation around the handles everything from payroll to hand tools and shop equipment, but slogan, “Where the pros accounts payable and receivable and woodworking machinery and power www.ContractorSupplyMagazine.com www.ContractorSupplyMagazine.com tool up.” This self-de- anything to do with money. Toni also tools dominate the showroom today. www.ContractorSupplyMagazine.com Fscribed retail tool store serves local manages the company’s health care This evolution of the product mix was contractors with power tools, acces- and benefit packages. heavily influenced by STAFDA. sories and specialty tools, many of which aren’t available anywhere else Neither Toni nor Nils wanted to MAJOR INFLUENCES in the area. jeopardize their family life to open “I was blown away by that first more stores, but they have poured STAFDA convention I attended,” Nils Today, with big box competitors their souls and considerable invest- recalls. “Seeing booth after booth of and specialty woodworking stores ment into building something of power tools was sexy but having the just down the street and the Internet which they and their employees can opportunity to talk with others in the literally overhead, founder and prin- be proud. industry really got me thinking about cipal owner Nils Lindbloom concen- how I could find the holy grail of the ND trates on keeping it that way. O AUG Each member of The Tool Shed tool business. Whatever was work- The Tool Shed’s owners AUG AMM team is a tool expert. The core team ing for another STAFDA member H include (L-R) Toni Lindbloom, | | SEP SEP Nils has spent virtually his whole is rounded out by Perry Barnard, seemed to be what The Tool Shed EFF Perry Barnard and Nils : J S 2017 career at The Tool Shed, which he general manager and now part own- should be doing.” Lindbloom. Nils launched 2017 O T the store in 1977 and Terry cofounded in 1977. He and his wife, er, who joined the company in 1985 CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 O PH joined the company in 1985 when he was just 18. 16 17 FEATURED The Tool Shed’s 15,000-square- foot showroom is laid out along the general plan of woodworking machines and tools on one side and mechanics tools on the other, DISTR with a bit of crossover in between. I BUTOR by Tom by Tom “our besT CUSTOMER STILL IS ONLY RESPON- Hammel SIBLE FOR LESS THAN 3 PERCENT OF OUR SALES. OVER THE YEARS, THIS DIVERSITY HAS HELPED SOFTEN THE EFFECTS OF RECESSIONS AND CHANGES IN THE MARKETplace.” NILS LINDBLOOM, PRESIDENT, THE TOOL SHED Nils joined STAFDA in 1987 and parts and only repair their brands, so Today, customers can walk has been mining its conventions, they handle repairs more efficiently,” through the 15,000-square-foot trade shows and training programs says Don Frank, who handles cus- store on the original hardwood floors. for gold ever since. tomer service for repairs. “We find Some still wax nostalgic about fun that we can offer faster turn around times they had there in the past. “STAFDA’s influence on our busi- and save our customers money by ness has been very significant,” Nils utilizing factory service centers for WALK ON IN says. “I would come home from repairs. But some customers want Walk-in trade accounts for up to a STAFDA convention or regional to repair their own tools, so we also 90 percent of Tool Shed business, meeting with 100 ideas. What stock many common parts.” so the showroom is a major focus, lines should we carry? Should we and making displays look clean, rent and repair tools? How about HISTORIC PROPORTIONS organized and compelling is every delivery? Outside sales? Increase the Eventually it dawned on Nils that employee’s job. Display philosophies showroom? Talking to people in the one of The Tool Shed’s best assets have evolved through many ap- www.ContractorSupplyMagazine.com www.ContractorSupplyMagazine.com booths and other distributors really was the building itself. Purchased proaches, but a significant change opened my eyes about the power in 1978, The Tool Shed building is was the elimination of locked display tool business, not only for business a Greenville landmark located on cases and security cables on power direction and new lines but also for Poinsett Highway, a high traffic count tools. Placing the front counter near the advice that STAFDA offered on gateway into the fourth fastest the door allows staff to help custom- everything from hiring and warehous- growing city in the United States. ers and deter potential shoplifters. ing to financing. That was hugely significant.” Originally constructed in 1950 Power tools are organized by type as a skating rink, the building later so a customer can conveniently One such direction was tool repair. became the Poinsett Auditorium, Vil- compare models side by side. Cord- The company performed tool repair lage Barn and Blueridge Playhouse less tools are an exception since, as for a number of years, but phased it and was rented out for gospel sing- “system tools,” it makes more sense AUG out after Nils realized his technicians ing groups, Motown bands, dances, to keep then organized by brand were performing mainly unprofitable weddings and boxing matches. With and voltage. Accessories are usually | SEP warranty work. its open interior space, wood floors located adjacent to the appropriate 2017 and distinctive barrel roof, it became power tool that uses them, though “The manufacturers stock all the a popular destination. CONTINUED ON PAGE 20 18 FEATURED A customer’s truck leaves The Tool Shed on its way to a job site. The building, a former skating rink dating to 1950, is a Greenville landmark that has hosted Motown bands, dances and boxing DISTR matches. I BUTOR by Tom by Tom “our producT KNOWLEDGE, BREADTH OF Hammel IN-STOCK ITEMS AND COMPETITIVE PRICING ARE IMPORTANT, BUT WHAT HELPS SET US APART FROM THE AMAZONS OF THE WORLD IS The shopping experience.” PERRY BARNARD, GENERAL MANAGER, THE TOOL SHED there are exceptions. Rather than remember where they saw it when and his team wanted to cater to pro displaying saw blades right next to the need arises.” users, they decided to offer premium saws, they keep the Freud and Dia- products only. Vendor selection blo area intact. Of course, there are After being in business for 40 became much simpler in 2001 when always exceptions where it makes years, The Tool Shed has more The Tool Shed joined Sphere 1. more sense to segregate products than 1,000 customers with open by customer type. Metal cutting accounts, although 70 percent of “Joining Sphere 1 was one of the circular saw blades, for example, their business is in some form of best decisions I ever made,” Nils are placed near products oriented cash. The accounts include con- says. “There are very few exceptions towards metal working clientele. struction and industrial, government, where we don’t use Sphere 1 sup- schools and ironworking, woodwork- pliers and most of those are either “We pride ourselves on making ing and automotive customers. because a given line is not relevant sure a customer is waited on as for the cooperative or the manufac- soon as they walk through the SAFETY IN NUMBERS turer is unique in the market. door. Time is money to these guys The Tool Shed has such a wide www.ContractorSupplyMagazine.com www.ContractorSupplyMagazine.com and a lot of times they just want variety of clientele that it is not “For example, SawStop and to get it and go,” Nils says. “The dependent on any one market, nor Festool are extremely popular lines showroom is generally laid out with overly reliant on just a few high- for us and have a significant presen- consideration of the type of work volume customers. tation in the store. As much as we our customer does and what he’ll want to stay within Sphere 1’s ‘circle need, but we understand it’s hard to “Our best customer still is only of love,’ we still have to stock what anticipate that different contractor responsible for less than 3 percent the customer wants.” types may need similar tools,” of our sales,” Nils states. “Over Nils explains. “We basically have the years, this diversity has helped By using mainly Sphere 1 vendors, woodworking on one side of the soften the effects of recessions and The Tool Shed has been able to showroom and more mechanics changes in the marketplace.” grow and strengthen those relation- tools on the other.