Today we’d like to introduce you to Kim Bius. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Kim’s Home and Garden is a woman founded, managed and operated, multi dimensional business, beginning in Jan. of 1985. Kim’s is presently located at the historic Top O the Hill Fall Farm in Huntsville, TX, just blocks from I-45. After 38 years in business, the story is long but it has a happy ending. The business consist of 3 divisions: garden center in the stone barn (voted best in Texas in 2019 by bestthingstx) , the Fine home and gifts in the mansion and the landscape division.
The business was started small, (I was one year out of college with a BS degree) and with determination, grit and a “no fail” attitude it grew, evolved, and has metamorphised into the business you see today….but the process is never-ending. Due to imminent domain, the business was forced to move from a 27-year location at 194 IH 45 South and by God’s grace, the vision to renovate the old plantation began to have merit and over the course of 5 years the property was brought to the phase you see today.
On a business level, my mantra has and will always be to provide the best quality, service and knowledge in the industry, and “they will come”. Kim’s is a specialty store, in the sense, that we sell fine home living and lifestyles.
I received a preservation award for bringing the abandoned and dilapidated property back to life and the renovation can be viewed on the Top O the Hill Facebook page.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
As my grandmother once said, ” anything got easy….ain’t worth having”. The road was filled with challenges, mountains, pitfalls, costly mistakes, devastations, audits, thefts, bad employees….but it also has joy, work family, passion and love for what we do. It is a privilege and a blessing, to do what you love. The retail industry is feast or famine and you must constantly have your ear to the ground to hear……what does the customer want….where is the market going……and we get it right more times than we don’t.
Finding the right people to make “the Team” is essential. No success was ever reached without a village of folks pulling together to “make it happen”.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
As mentioned earlier, Kim’s is a known and branded logo…..If you get one of the coveted specialty green Kim’s bags, you know something special is inside. Kim’s is known for quality, shopping experience, and old-fashioned customer service. Our customer base comes from a 2-hour radius, but we also see visitors from around the globe that find us on social media. What set’s us apart? Kim’s is unduplicatable and a one-of-a-kind. The grounds of the restored Top O the HIll are stunning…featuring 200-year-old trees and we go to great investment to ensure every visit is also a history tour back to a gracious time. The holiday season is magical and pull out all the stops to create a Christmas wonderland for our shoppers. Kim’s is a destination shopping experience….like no other! Many of our items are private label, as is our line of gourmet foods, jarred goods, and candies. Our logo fits our image and the only way to truly get the feel for what Kim’s is…is to visit.
What’s next?
At Kim’s, something big is always being planned. We do seasonal events, artist walks, Holiday Open Houses, live music, wine tastings, seminars, workshops, etc., and new ideas are always being presented……you never know what the next fun will be.
Kim’s also hosts Louise and Oleta’s Cafe and Tea House on the grounds. This unique outdoor dining venue is run by Blake April and Kaitlyne Roberts, a family team with chef of the Woodlands…..and their menu is always farm fresh.
Pricing:
- $1.99 and up
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kimshg.com/
- Instagram: Kims Home and Garden
- Facebook: Kim’s Home and Garden
Image Credits
Kim’s Home and Garden
