If you’re shopping for building supplies at Southside Building Center, you may run into Brad Abee who has worked here since 1997.
When asked about what he does at Southside, Brad modestly replies, “a little bit of everything.” His typical work day can take him from one side of the warehouse to the other. (If you haven’t been to Southside Building Center, you might not realize that’s a lot of territory.)
On a given day, you might find Brad assisting a customer who needs a quote for a replacement door or demonstrating how to install what’s needed to protect a customer’s pipes.
That kind of interaction with the customer keeps him informed and up-to-date for another part of his job. Brad serves as a buyer for merchandise like plumbing and electrical goods, small hand tools, Gorilla glue products, and lawn and garden tools from wholesale distributors.
Brad likes the variety his job provides as well as the different people he meets. Before working at Southside, he served in the Army, spending three and a half years in Baumholder, Germany. He also worked in a marble shop and another shop that specialized in kitchen cabinets.
“A little bit of everything” would also be an accurate description of how Brad spends his leisure time. He bowls, plays softball in season, practices his aim with his Springfield 40 caliber on the shooting range and hits the gym to work out five or six times per week.
He and his wife Beth also stay busy providing a home for Shadow, Jazz, Fluffy, Luna and Misty. Some of the dogs (like Shadow, the lab and Jazz the lab/dingo mix) have been with Brad and Beth since they were puppies.
Then there’s Fluffy the friendly grey mutt with the shaggy sweet face that used to wander in and
out of Brad’s old neighborhood before he and Beth married. As Brad and Beth prepared to move into their new home, they agreed: “We’re not leaving Fluffy!”
Luna (the Labradoodle) and Misty (the Pitbull) are more recent rescues, with Misty finding her way to them – quite literally — this past July.
That’s when Beth found her wandering down the road, and despite Misty’s microchip and the help of their vet, they couldn’t find the original owner. Much to Misty’s satisfaction, she made her home with Brad and Beth – another happy ending for all.
The next time you’re in Southside looking for building supplies, ask for Brad. He’s very knowledgeable and can help you plan out your next project at a competitive price.