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2023 Future 50 Winner

By BizTimes Staff

Original Article

Oak Creek | Founded: 1904
Industry: Construction and building materials
Employees: 335 | 2023 projected sales: $240 million

Bliffert Lumber & Hardware supplies building materials and hardware to contractors and homeowners primarily located in southern Wisconsin.

How has your company navigated the challenges of the past few years?

Eli Bliffert, owner: “We were able to manage through supply chain issues caused by the COVID-19 pandemic because we built up much of our inventory leading into the pandemic, which allowed us to provide products to customers when our competitors were running out of the product.”

 What factors have contributed the most to your growth in the past three years?

“The southern Wisconsin community is underbuilt from a housing standpoint. The demand for new construction resulting from this realization has driven growth significantly.”

What’s new at your company and are you planning any major changes in the coming years?

“We expanded into selling cabinets as we diversify our product line and try to get more into the remodeling segment of the industry.”

What are the biggest obstacles to your company’s continued growth?

“Increasing interest rates and slowing economic growth could lead to fewer construction projects in the future, which would slow demand for our product.”