The Southard Corporation Expands Business, Remains True To Home
(This article was printed in the February 2007 issue of Outlook Business Journal)

Perfect Match - The Southard Corporation is shown above the Renewal by Andersen sign outside of Southard's Great Bend store, 1222 E. 10th. The business partnership struck between Southard and Renewal by Anderson 2 ½ years ago has flourished for both entities in the industry of retail home improvement. "Lots of people in Barton County think this store is all we are because they only know this one spot," said Joe. "There is so much more to our company. Our sales are scattered all over the state, but the installation comes from our local workforce mostly."

George Southard possessed the kind of early entrepreneurial spirit that is woven into the heritage of American small business. Still, it's safe to guess Southard, who died in 1978, never envisioned his Great Bend business expanding to the size it is today. Nearly 56 years after Southard began his one-man company, The Southard Corporation operates stores in four locations around the state and is Kansas' exclusive dealer and installer of Renewal by Andersen, the industry leader in retail custom-fitted windows.

This spring, Southard will expand its operation to Omaha and Lincoln, Neb., becoming the exclusive Renewal by Andersen dealer in those areas as well. In April, Southard will open a store in Omaha where it will serve the two metropolitan areas. Within two years, it plans to open a second Nebraska store, that one in Lincoln.

"It takes about five years to mature the business, but once we do that in Omaha and Lincoln, Andersen is anticipating that we will double our sales volume," said Joe Southard, the son of George and co-owner of the business. "So, you see why moving into Nebraska is a big deal for us."

It's an especially big deal because 60 percent of Southard's retail business today comes from Renewal by Andersen sales and installation. It's also a huge deal for the local community because Southard's Great Bend store, located at 1222 E. 10th, serves as the corporate office for the business, which also operates stores in Wichita, Garden City and Topeka. Southard is constructing a new building to relocate its Topeka store, in a new "red-hot spot," said Joe, and it's anticipated that move will increase sales.

It's optimistic news for Great Bend because the lion's share of Southard business revenue flows into Great Bend. Additionally, most of Southard's product is moved through its three Great Bend warehouses, and nearly half of Southard's 65 employees hail from Barton County. It's not a business arrangement that will end any time soon, said Joe, no matter the expansion of business.

"Our roots are here and we have other investments in this community," explained Joe. "We want to keep expanding, but we will always run the company from Great Bend. There would never be a reason for us to move our corporate office. We like it here; it's always been home to us."

Southard Lineage - Representing The Southard Corporation, standing left to right are Joe Southard, LeRoy Donovan, and Mike Southard. A photo hangs in the background of George Southard, who started the business in 1951. Other family members involved in the business are Joe's son-in-law Todd Wenberg, sales manager, and LeRoy's son, Shannon, who works for Southard on its investments. Fortunately for Great Bend, George changed the focus of his business venture from water softener sales and service to retail home improvement.

George founded the business in 1951 selling, installing and servicing Lindsay Water Softeners. Five years later, he discontinued selling water softeners and began selling and installing storm windows, doors, awnings and patio covers, and eventually siding. The business progressively expanded through nearly two decades to the point that in 1974, Joe forged a business partnership with LeRoy Donovan - a partnership that is still in place today. Even with the tremendous growth, Sourthard remains a family business. Joe's son Mike is president of the company, and his son-in-law, Todd Wemberg, serves as sales manager from the company's Wichita location. LeRoy's son, Shanon, works with Southard on its investments.

Over the years, Southard has adapted to meet industry demands, even going as far as manufacturing wrought iron railings and other custom-ordered wrought iron products for a time. Most of Southard's business back then consisted of selling and installing siding, storm windows, storm doors and awnings. The company still custom builds storm windows and doors, but that business has dropped off considerably over the years and Southard's direction changed a few years ago when it partnered with Renewal by Andersen.

"In 2004, we sold about 700 vinyl windows," said Mike. "The next year, with 'Renewal by Andersen,' we tripled our replacement-window sales. We didn't realize the power of the name at first. We totally underestimated the boost we would receive because of our association with Andersen."


Southard also sells and installs patio and storm doors for Renewal by Andersen, but most of its business from that product line comes from windows. In comparison to a few years earlier regarding replacement-window sales, Mike estimated that Southard will sell and install about 6,000 windows this year. Besides the fine reputation of the Andersen name, Mike said the windows sell because they are a revolutionary, quality product.

Renewal by Andersen is not a typical vinyl window, he explained, because it's made from Fibrex, a structural composite of pine fibers and thermoplastic polymers that makes it twice as strong as vinyl. The product also has less than half the expansion and contraction of its counterpart vinyl window, and it's offered in a wider range of colors.

"Everybody in the specialty home improvement business has a vinyl replacement window of some kind, but there are very few, if any, that have a name brand that people have heard about. Renewal by Andersen is a higher-end window that has name recognition behind it. People feel a comfort level buying a product with a name like Andersen versus a product name they've never heard before."

Window Renewal - A Renewal by Anderson window display sits in the lobby of The Southard Corporation, Great Bend. Anderson Corporation builds standard-sized windows for new construction that are sold at various home improvement stores and lumber yards. Renewal by Anderson, on the other hand, is a subsidiary of the 104-year-old company. It builds custom-sized Fibrex replacement windows, storm and patio doors that are strictly installed by a Renewal by Anderson dealer. The Southard Corporation is the only company Renewal by Anderson provided exclusive state-wide rights to for the selling and installation of its product. Now, Southard has earned the right to exclusively represent Renewal by Anderson in two metropolitan areas of Nebraska.

Besides its retail business, Southard also operates Kansas Siding Supply as a wholesale business to serve area building contractors for their siding, windows, doors and other home-building and improvement needs. The wholesale business does not offer Renewal by Andersen, however, because that is strictly a retail product line. To cover the state's retail and wholesale home-improvement needs, Southard maintains three buildings in Great Bend with approximately 38,000 square feet of warehouse space. That space has tripled since 1982 when the corporate office moved into its current location, estimated Joe. Most of the company's inventory is stored in Great Bend, although some also is stored at the company's other three stores across the state.

While George couldn't possibly have imagined what The Southard Corporation would grow to be today, his son is not surprised the family's business has prospered and thrived throughout the past five decades.

"People call us because we've been in business here for more than 55 years and they know they can trust us," said Joe. "They know we are going to take care of them and we will stand behind our products. If something goes haywire, then they know we're insured and they do not have to worry about the situation. Some of our competitors don't provide those same assurances because they are working out of their pick-up trucks. There's no comfort level for homeowners in those instances. With us, they have guaranteed quality and peace of mind."

More information about The Southard Corporation can be found at the company's Web site at www.southardcorp.com. Information about Renewal by Andersen can be accessed at www.renewalbyandersen.com.