Bills Across America. A Journal.
6AM: I’ve made it to the plane, on time and stocked with coffee and 3 pound bran muffin. Philly to Atlanta, connecting to Columbia, SC. for a store event at retailer Granger Owings. I woke moments before the 3:30am alarm (how do I do that) and was on my way by 4. No traffic at that hour, so the Philadelphia airport can be had in under an hour,… that is if my wife leaves enough gas in the car. A zombie crowd you see at the Wawa (Pennsylvania’s brand of super fueled convenience stores) at that hour. I was not the only one wandering the earth well before dawn looking to fuel my energy deprived auto and self.
We push back from the gate on time.
11:45AM: Arrive at Granger Owings. Store seems busy as Vaughn Granger, store founder, gives me the nickel tour. Granger Owings is Columbia’s premiere downtown store, located at the foot of South Carolina’s Capitol building. Vaughn has recently been joined by his two sons, DR and YV. Their youth gives you confidence that the business of men’s haberdasheries has a future. The environment is energetic and upbeat, complete with 4 flat screen TV’s permanently tuned to ESPN or the Golf Channel. Today it’s our Phillies vs. the Rockies in the home opener of the NLDS... I catch more of the game here than I ever would at the office. Among the Bills customers who stopped in to bolster their khaki rotation, South Carolina’s secretary of economic development, who extended his help if at any time we would want to pursue the production of Bills Khakis in his proud state. It’s always nice to be reminded that we are doing something important by making our product in the U.S.
8PM: Woody, our sales rep in the Southeast is my wingman on this trip (correction, I am his). We drive to his home to Davidson, NC to share dinner with Adria, his wife, at “Restaurant X” where they serve the best seared tuna anywhere, according to Woody (understated overstatement is the reason Woody resides over our #1 sales territory). We’ve got an early start tomorrow, so if there’s a night scene anywhere in this postcard perfect college town, we won’t find it.
Thursday, October 8th, 2009
7:30AM: The 4 hour drive from Davidson, NC to Knoxville, TN is just like you read about. Cutting a path through the Smokey Mountains under sunny skies in early fall rivals a drive through upstate New York, Vermont or New Hampshire. The leaves are just beginning to show their color at the highest altitudes making the road coffee and conversation that much better.
Noon: Woody and I have arrived at M.S. McClellan. Woody won’t let me set up the samples because he has a “system” and is very particular about his “system.” I gladly lug bags, but when it comes to set up, I’m out. M.S. McClellan has just introduced a full scale Bills Khakis concept shop complete with permanent brick fixtures and wooden signs.
It’s arguably the best real estate in the store. One cannot miss the optic Orange displayed throughout the store. We’re in U.T. territory where talk of football goes hand in hand with hunting, fishing and whiskey. Matthew McClellan, the store’s founder and namesake, can tell you a story or two. Regulars visit this store out of need, want and ritual. For many, you haven’t been back to Knoxville without stopping by to see Matthew. This afternoon’s visitors are treated to some homemade BBQ and select microbrews. There is something about BBQ, beer and Bills that go so well together.
9:30PM: We’ve packed up after a record day in Knoxville and have made it half way to tomorrow’s destination, Nashville. Woody and I have spent most of our drive arguing over whether to eat at Outback Steakhouse or Longhorn. Aptly named, Cookeville is an outpost on one’s journey through Tennessee and likely sprung up long before it was possible to cross the state in a matter of hours. Cookeville defines the word “middle of the road,” marked by lofted signs of every hotel chain and eatery. We make our way to Outback under the assumption that they have better wine than Longhorn, relatively speaking. Woody knows his wine, so I back off my demands to hit Longhorn, until we drive by Outback which looks empty and dead. Woody concedes at the final moment and we cruise over to Longhorn. Upon carving into our steaks, cooked Pittsburgh’ed, medium rare, Woody concedes this was the right decision. The wine wasn’t bad either.
Friday, October 9th, 20099AM – The switch to central time has given us an extra hour of sleep and a much needed second wind. After a full breakfast at Nashville’s priciest greasy spoon, we pull up and unload our wears at the Oxford Shop. Woody does all the work, by now I know better. The Oxford Shop’s Eric and David have a remarkable following and solid track record of successful events, so we’re expecting a busy time… and we were right. The day yields a steady stream of Bills Khakis die-hards, and even a few new recruits. Where else but Tennessee do customers named Pokey go out of their way to meet you and recount their story about how they first found out about Bills Khakis…amazing!
10:30PM – Safely back in PA, finally back home. With miles under my feet and family routines all out of whack, I’m looking forward to getting back into a home bound groove, at least until the next time I’m called back into action. But things seem just as I left them, so that is all you can hope for.