business and its assets; however, we retained the property and are leasing the land to them.”
Kim stayed retired for two months, reports Bobby. “Ten she called a family meeting. She was bored and missed working with the kids. She wanted to start another business they could work in together. Kim was thinking about an upscale retail clothing store, offering apparel for an active lifestyle that would appeal to everyone from teens to retirees. I told her I’d do it, if we went back to the Wilson family that took a chance on me with my first land acquisition.”
According to Kim, Raylan, the store dog, is a great addition to the store “staff,” and a big draw for shoppers.
Bobby says, “I encourage everyone to attend the TPI Conferences and Conventions. Tey’ll meet the movers and shakers of this industry from around the world; people that can help them tremendously in their business, but even more so in their life. I get together with friends from TPI more than friends from college or any other stage in my life. Tis past year when we sold our hunting ranch in Colorado, I had to drive up there and pull a trailer back with all the things we still had left in the house. My Dad was concerned about me making that trip alone. I told him that I’d be within 50 miles of one of my TPI friends the whole trip, so I’d have plenty of help if I needed it. He told me he’d never thought about it like that, but it’s true. When I’m traveling, I always look to see who might be close to me. It’s like a great big family.”
Branching Out—Again By 2014, Te Stockyard Horticultural Supply had grown to a wholesale/retail nursery on 60 acres, with a store offering landscaping supplies, 52 greenhouses and 2.5 acres of heated annual and perennial plant production. Its success in serving the Memphis area drew the attention of John Deere Landscapes (now SiteOne Landscape Supply) as they saw it as a possible opportunity for expanding their presence in that market through acquisition.
“We were open to the acquisition in part because of the company’s reputation of retaining most of the existing staff. Kim felt the timing was right for her to retire and for our kids to look at other options. We closed the deal in September of 2014,” says Bobby. “Tey acquired the
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S.Y. Wilson & Company had been a fixture in downtown Arlington since it was founded in 1893. Originally a general store, it had evolved over the years and, in 2014, was in its fifth generation of Wilson family ownership. Te area surrounding the company’s three-story building had evolved, too, into the trendy Depot Square, the hub of the town’s commercial and social activities. Bobby approached the owner, Susan Wilson Hoggard, about purchasing the store in November of 2014. It was Kim’s vision to restore, repair and revitalize the building, while retaining the company name and building on its old logo “cradle to the grave,” to create their own tagline, “the General Store for the Active Life.”
Te deal was closed in May of 2015, with the reopening that August. Building on Kim and Shelby’s love of barrel racing, there’s a western and equestrian component. Te entire family’s love of the outdoors is reflected in the apparel suitable for hunting and fishing. And Robert is a work out advocate, so they feature workout clothing and accessories, too. Tey’ve added an online shopping component on their website
sywilson.com and expanded the merchandise mix to include kayaks, canoes and standup paddle boards.
Bobby is listed as president, though he says his role is more behind the scenes, while Kim runs the company in conjunction with Robert who serves as store manager. Working with Kim, first at Te Stockyard Horticultural Supply and now at S.Y. Wilson & Company, provides Shelby the opportunity to help others, something she loves nearly as much as working with horses.
And that’s not all. Bobby reports they are still following that pattern: develop, sell, and use the money to invest in land further out. He adds, “We have ‘a few’ residential subdivisions underway. We’re doing a commercial development in downtown Arlington, which will be a neighboring business to S.Y. Wilson & Company in Depot Square. It’s a two-story building, with approximately 12,800 square feet which will be a combination of retail and office space. A new highway interchange will be cutting into one of our farms. We’re planning on
TPI Turf News November/December 2018
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