Orgill Case Study | 5 Plaza) off of Highway 49, one of the main roads heading into West Helena. In 1996, the H&M owners sold off their interest in the ready-mix concrete facility to focus solely on the home improvement operation. Upon moving into the new 50,000-square-foot facility that offered about 25,000 square feet of under-roof space for retail, H&M Lumber Company continued to experience growth. The company joined Ace Hardware and implemented a number of the supplier’s products and services into its selection. While the store offered unique products and services that appealed to the local market, they also carried a wide range of privatelabel products under the Ace Hardware private-label brand. The store carried a number of niche industry brands including Big Green Egg, Costa eyewear and shortly before the CNRG acquisition H&M added a full-line of Stihl outdoor power equipment to its product mix. Not long after the company’s move to the new facility, two of the competing local hardware stores closed their doors. By the early 2000s, H&M was well established in Phillips County as the premier provider of hardware, building materials, lumber and home improvement supplies. H&M cultivated a strong community following, and the ownership and business played a significant role in the West Helena community, providing service and support to multiple local organizations, from the chamber of commerce to the Helena Museum and local college. In the mid 2000s, Morris Sr. and Jr. purchased the remaining interest in the business from founding partner Johnny Hornor. While Morris Sr. still remained active in the business, Morris Jr. began running the day-to-day operations. Morris Jr. had purchased the business from his father and was the sole owner of the business when Morris Sr. passed away in 2017. It was around this time that Morris Jr. began looking at succession planning and ways to ensure that the business remained a going concern either with or without his presence in the operation.
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