ARA

Bargain Store Owner is Bronze “Retailer of the Year”

Thursday, September 27, 2007

BIRMINGHAM, AL – The Alabama Retail Association (ARA) in cooperation with the University of Alabama at Birmingham today recognized nine outstanding Alabama retailers as “Retailers of the Year.” The association and UAB also recognized the Belk and Hess families as “Retail Giants.” The presentations were made at The Sheraton Birmingham Hotel during UAB’s 2007 Retail Day Luncheon. This marked the eighth presentation of the Retailer of the Year Awards since 1999. The awards returned this year after taking a hiatus in 2006.

07JonesBronze$1to$5Alabama Retail Association member Michael Ray Jones , owner of Mike’s Merchandise with stores in Guntersville, Huntsville, Decatur, Muscle Shoals and Auburn, received the Bronze Award in the “Annual Sales $1 Million to $5 Million” category. Virginia Bagwell, a retired Redstone Arsenal employee, nominated Jones for this prestigious award.

The independent panel of judges who chose the Retailer of the Year finalists cited this bargain retailer for the solid expansion of his business, promoting the retail industry to students and the company’s use of technology.

In the past year, Mike’s Merchandise added a fifth store in Muscle Shoals, opened a new 4,000-square-foot tool room at its Guntersville location and utilized unused warehouse space at one store to begin an eBay operation.

“Mike started his company 25 years ago with one store (in Guntersville), now he has four Mike’s Merchandise stores in north Alabama and one franchise Mike’s Merchandise in Auburn. I’ve seen how hard Mike works and how his employees appreciate him,” Bagwell, who has helped Jones with advertising, said in her nomination.

Jones’ business began as a resale business from merchandise obtained at auction. In addition to resale retail, his inventory also includes wholesale merchandise. His stores sell tools, books, clothes, linens, pet supplies and a myriad of other merchandise. A recent TV commercial for a deal on rope at the stores increased rope sales 100 percent. No doubt, as his Web site (mikesmerchandise.com) declares: “It’s a new store every time you walk in!”

Always willing to try something new, Jones is testing out a computerized bar code system at one store that has the potential to save each of his stores thousands of dollars each month.

Jones also does his part to encourage young people to get into retailing. He employs one or two students at all times from the area high school DECA programs. One former student employee is now a store manager.

 “Mr. Jones is a retailer of the year EVERY year to his employees, his customers and the communities Mike’s Merchandise serves,” said Rick Brown, president of the Alabama Retail Association.

The other winners in the “Annual Sales $1 Million to $5 Million” category were:
• Gold Award: Jo Ellen Jordan , Cook & Sons Ace Hardware Inc., Albertville; nominated by Jennifer Palmer, president, Albertville Chamber of Commerce.
• Silver Award: Mickey, Michael and John Gee , Pants Store Inc./Taylor Company Inc., Leeds; nominated by Tricia Ford, executive director, Mountain Brook Chamber of Commerce, and Michael Gee, vice president, Taylor Co. Inc.

John R. Belk, president and chief operating officer of Belk Inc. and the keynote speaker for the Retail Day luncheon, accepted Belk Inc.’s “Retail Giant” award on behalf of himself, his brothers and the company. Donald Hess, former chairman, president and chief executive officer of Parisians, accepted the Hess family’s “Retail Giant” award. The Retailer of the Year judges voted to present these special one-time awards to recognize the significant contributions to retailing made by Parisian and the Hess family as well as Belk Inc. and the Belk family.

Bronze, silver and gold awards were presented in two other categories by Alabama annual sales volume:

Annual Sales More Than $5 Million 
• Gold Award:  Steven M. Sandlin , Pay-Less Pharmacy Group, Decatur; nominated by John Seymour, president and chief executive officer, Decatur-Morgan County Chamber of Commerce.
• Silver Award: Jerry G. Beasley , Beasley Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Ozark; nominated by Jeanette Reeves, executive director, Ozark Area Chamber of Commerce.
• Bronze Award: Bryan K. Owens and John B. Marshall , Unclaimed Baggage Center, Scottsboro; nominated by Rick Roden, president and chief executive officer, Greater Jackson County Chamber
of Commerce.

Annual Sales Less Than $1 Million 
• Gold Award: Shawn Beitelspacher , Southern Sole, Tuscaloosa; nominated by Lauren Skinner, Ph.D, assistant professor, University of Alabama at Birmingham.
• Silver Award: Anne A. Appleby , South Baldwin Regional Medical Center Auxiliary Gift Shop, Foley; nominated by Fran Barr, South Baldwin Regional Medical Center Auxiliary.
• Bronze Award: Montez Oudenaarden , My Favorite Things, Monroeville; nominated by Sandy Smith, executive director, Monroe County Chamber of Commerce.

“This was an exciting day for us,” ARA President Brown said.  “It is an honor to be able to recognize such an outstanding group of retailers. Each retailer honored is a credit to the profession and a community asset.”

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Media Contact: Nancy King Dennis | 334.263.5757 Ext. 101 | 800.239.5423