Businesswoman Chapter 43

Hardware stores weren’t supposed to be this clean. There should’ve been dust everywhere from woodworking and little shards of metal and shavings littering the place. They did not see this when Loreen and Lisa arrived at the flagship location in Dover, Delaware of WorktheLand tools and supplies.

They met CEO Harvey Gantry. He looked slight but sharp in a zip sweater, blue jeans, and work boots. A slight grin crept onto his face.

“Thank you ladies for answering our call,” he stated matter of factly.

The two women nodded. “We know you’re seeing a slow down in sales. We’re here to alleviate that issue,” Loreen explained.

“It’s not my management. They’re top notch. The day staff are all bright and knowledgeable. It’s this ‘buy American’ nonsense that keeps gumming up progress.”

“Yes, that seems to be a rather vicious aspect of commerce right now,” Lisa added.

“What can you both do? I’ve tried slashing prices, but when people find out a given tool or fixture is made overseas, they turn up their noses.”

Loreen looked at a place to set down her tablet.

“We ensure that every import is shown with a small sticker that asks to compare with American products and asks if the customer should pay for quality or nationalism.”

Gantry’s face soured a bit. “Isn’t that unpatriotic?”

Loreen spoke up again. “Not at all. It’s just the opposite. Real Americans buy products with quality and thrift tied together.”

“Yes,” mentioned Lisa, “We can quibble about tariffs and trade deficients but nobody cares about that when they’re installing their ceiling fans or planting their gardens.”

Gantry looked like he had a loading page written across his face. Then, “I can see how that might work. We’re going to have to change.”

“That’s right,” Lisa said with supreme confidence.