After working for years as the Vice President of Finance for various companies, requiring lots of travel, Norm Judd decided that he wanted to try and stay put for a while. Golf was something that he had always had a passion for and he thought it would be fun to open a golf store. Norm and wife, Laurie did some research and decided to buy B&M Golf Company, a golf club component business that’s been around for over 40 years.

“Norm always had a passion for golf and so we thought it would be great to own our own store,” Laurie said. “We liked the idea that unlike a traditional golf store that involves clothes, shoes and things like that, we only have to deal with golf components. That was kind of intriguing to us.”

B&M Golf offers supplies, wood heads, iron heads, shafts, grips and tools for those clubmakers and Do-It-Yourselfers.

According to Laurie, they’ve made several improvements since taking over the business. Some of the new additions they’ve incorporated include putting on demonstration days at some of the area golf courses and sponsoring some golf outings. They’ve also added a website with a shopping cart for easy and fast online purchasing.

In addition to having a great website, B&M Golf also receives exposure for their business by being a member of America’s Best Companies. As a matter of fact, B&M Golf was the very first member of America’s Best Companies signed up in 2006.

The economic downturn has helped B&M Golf in some ways. “I think right now we’re seeing an increase in the sale of grips, because people are opting to do that themselves to save money instead of buying new clubs,” Laurie said.

B&M Golf has been able to stand out from their competition by focusing on outstanding customer service. “Our claim to fame is if it’s in stock, we will ship it the day you place the order, whereas the competitors sometimes can take about a week,” she said. “Our driving force is really our ability to deliver. We have customers that place orders anywhere from 1 to 5 times a week to once a month and they always say that they like our friendly service, speedy delivery, and our wide selection.”

As far as her advice for fellow small business owners, Laurie says it’s important to stay on top of the trends in your industry. “Things are always changing and so it’s important for business owners to do their homework and to be aware of anything new and different that’s out there,” Laurie said. “I always suggest doing a lot of research so that when customers ask you questions, you can answer them intelligently.”

Laurie shared her and Norm’s most satisfying moment in business. “We used to participate in the big golf show in Long Beach every February and they always thought that we did an outstanding job,” she said. “We had a professional Long Driver, Scott Smith, come in and give demonstrations. The people that run that show want us back every year because we bring a different look to golf. They were also going to make us the clubmaker of the show, because people think it’s such a hard thing to put clubs together and it’s really not. It’s just a little bit of glue and knowing your customer’s swing so you can pick the best club for them. Being able to customize what we do without being overly expensive is a big plus for our business.” —Lynn Celmer