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A New Venture

Kathy Waters/Highlands Today

Bob Mullins recently opened The Country Porch, which is located inside the Lakeshore Mall in Sebring.

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By Bill Rogers | Highlands Today

Published: February 17, 2008

SEBRING – Bob Mullins didn't receive his business sense from a book because he only spent one year at the University of Virginia.

The Lake Placid man, contrary to what experts believe about the importance of business plans, doesn't put much stock in them. Mullins ascribes to the approach of one of America's great retailers – F.W. Woolworth.

"The Woolworth theory was that no matter what the problem is, you give the customer their money back," he said. "It is satisfaction guaranteed or your money back. That is the only reason that this has ever succeeded from Day One. I never stick anybody with something they don't want.

"It's absolute," he added. "That's something I do not argue with it one little bit. It works."

That philosophy has seemed to work well for Mullins, 56, who said he has been in sales since he started selling doughnuts at the age of 8. He will continue to operate that way with his latest venture.

Earlier this month, Mullins opened The Country Porch, located next to Radio Shack, at Lakeshore Mall in Sebring.

A variety of items are sold in the store, including frames, decorative flags, quilts, cutting boards, country western clothes, place mats, rocking chairs as well as fudge and soups. Mullins said only about the half of the 3,500-square foot store had been stocked as of last week.

"Anything I can find that nobody else has I buy," he said.

Mullins owned a home-building business in Denver, Colo., and retired early. Pulte Homes wanted his development of 256 custom homes, so he sold it.

He and his wife, Ruthie, came to Florida because both of his parents were in the hospital. Ruthie is a teacher at Lake Placid Elementary School.

"I found out at the age of 40 you retire and you move to Florida, I learned two things: I really suck at golf, and I don't like to fish. So I ended up doing craft shows just out of curiosity."

"I never intended to work this hard," he said. "You would think designing a house, building a house and selling a house would be harder than this and it is not."

Mullins said trying to figure out what to sell, how to sell it, how to display it and how to keep people happy is more of a challenge.

In a year's time, he wants to be able to have a total of three stores open. He is looking at Eagle Ridge Mall in Lakes Wales and the mall in Lakeland as the next two locations.

"I truly believe in taking it as far as it will go, and I can see this as a nationwide chain," he said. "I really could. I think the mix is right, our attitude is right – we're going to make the customer happy; I don't care what it takes – we're going to treat the customer right.

I don't care if you are selling hot dogs or jet liners, you make the customer happy you are going to succeed."

Mullins recalled the time a customer returned a flag three years later.

"I've taken flags back that were tattered, torn, faded and shredded. I actually had a lady stand in front of me and bragged that the flag had lasted three years, but she wanted a new one."

What did Mullins do?

"I gave it to her," he said. "She bought three more flags while she was at it."

Mullins said many of the items in the store are made by people he has known over the years from craft shows.

A grand opening for the store will be held in March. Samples of the fudge and soups will be available. He said he will also be demonstrating the stain resistance – using red wine – of a indoor/outdoor braided rug made in India.

"I have always had a ton of fun doing what I'm doing. If it is not fun, I don't do it," Mullins said.

"I'm too ornery to have a boss," he added.

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