Ball
Rebounds and Soars
There’s something to be said for home court advantage.
When you have it, you know what to expect. But, when you’re
competing in a different market, the rules of the game can be
surprising.
What do you do when your initial strategy is only putting a
few points on the board, and you’re receiving a lukewarm
reception from the local fans? Change the game plan. Jeff Ball
did, and he’s been winning big ever since.
In January of ’99, when Ball opened a mill shop in central
Missouri, he was not a newcomer to the hardwood industry. He
had invested 17 years on the winning team of Mid-America Hardwoods,
240 miles southwest, in Sarcoxie, MO. After researching the
local building market, Ball decided to build his own franchise,
locating Heritage Home Center, Inc. in the steadily growing
city of Columbia.
Fortunately, he came better prepared than most to run a new
business. Since 1981, Ball had trained under Mid-America (and
Heritage Oak Flooring) founder Gary Shepherd. He was coachable
and responsive to Shepherd’s tutelage.
"Gary was a great father figure in my life," Ball
recounts. "When I was 17, he and his wife Darlene took
me in and treated me like one of their kids. Gary was incredibly
gifted in business matters…in how you treated people,"
Ball stresses. "If you gave your word, that’s what
you did…period!
"I was also fortunate enough to work closely with Gary’s
son Terry (who died in an accident in August). "I miss
being able to pick up the phone and call him. Working with Terry
gave me great insight into the daily challenges of running a
business and the patience it took to see things progress."
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Rebounds and Soars
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Heritage
Home Center owner Jeff Ball educates a prospective customer
on the quality and value of Prime Poplar™, while exhibiting
his hardwood flooring, stair parts and molding products
at the Columbia Home Builders Association Home & Garden
Show in Columbia, Missouri.
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