A few weeks ago, our Base Supply Center (BSC) at Fort Detrick celebrated its 15th anniversary with a customer appreciation event and vendor show. Everything was perfect about that day; the weather, the location, the event itself—you name it.
Given the reason we were celebrating, it was fitting to see such pride and joy taking place. After all, it was our very first Army location, and in many ways, it’s now considered our flagship BSC store, so to speak. This day was for our employees; for all the hours they’ve given, for all of their collective efforts—seen and unseen—it was to honor them. They deserved it.
Milestones like these prompt us to pause and ask, “How did we get here?” The more I think about it and the more I ask myself the question, I’m reminded that the answer is simple: It’s the people.
A Long Time Coming
Fifteen years is quite the accomplishment, and I can’t help but think about all of the people—past and present—that come to mind as we reflect on our time in Frederick, Maryland. The same gives me hope for what’s ahead, knowing that from humble beginnings to becoming a fixture within the community, every step has been shaped by the incredible individuals who have been part of this journey.
When people hear of how we tried to start this store for over ten years, and ask us how we overcame the initial challenges of getting on our feet, I think of our base store manager, Tim Selby, and assistant manager, Todd Thomas, each of whom has been there since the beginning. These two are foundational—two rocks that have provided stability and support for the store along the way.
When I speak of how the entire base has embraced our mission, and continue to help us spread the word and raise awareness concerning the value of blind employment, I point to Tim. His heart and his vision has been such an instrumental part of the whole experience.
Tim is a guy who practically “lives there” at the store—it seems like he doesn’t go home. Even his wife (who was at the event), joked with us, “If I don’t know where he is, I know he’s at the store.” Tim and his wife choose to live on the base, not because they serve in the military, but because of their commitment to the community—both on base and in Frederick. They’ve spent a lot of time building relationships within the community, whether with small businesses, other business partners, the local chambers of commerce, and the like. There’s such a close sense of connection there on base and within the store, and both Tim and Todd are largely responsible for cultivating that. We’re so appreciative of all they do.
Embracing the Present
When reflecting on the event, I had a difficult time deciding which single thing to focus on, because my heart is still so full thinking about all this store does, and all the hours of work the staff pours into it. It’s an amazing expression of our mission.
For the past two to three years, the store has had the honor and privilege of sourcing and supplying items directly to Camp David and, by extension, the president—an opportunity that’s incredibly rare. But nothing they do surprises me anymore. For instance, we now have four people who are blind or visually impaired working in that store. Typically, we only have one or two BVI employees, but this base has embraced the mission so strongly. It truly is a great story and such an inspiring work they’re doing there.
Speaking of the base, I have to pause and give honor to Colonel Ned Marsh, U.S. Army Garrison Commander at Fort Detrick. Not only did he plan such a wonderful and memorable event, but his impact and dedication has been instrumental for us in continuing to thrive as a part of the community. I’ve always said that the best possible situation in this type of partnership is when you’re fulfilling their mission, and they’re reciprocally fulfilling ours as well, employing people that are blind or visually impaired. I’ve never seen one as good as this location, and we’ve been very fortunate to have him there.
Looking Forward
In our industry, our Fort Detrick store is well-known. Recently, National Industries for the Blind (NIB) hired a new president and CEO, Soraya Correa, succeeding the previous leader who had been there for over 30 years. Soraya attended our event last week, which included a catered lunch and award presentation. Despite having much to learn in her new role, and plenty of things on her list to do, she spent over an hour with us, then visited our store for another 90 minutes just to meet every single team member and each of the vendors from other agencies. Her commitment, kindness, and encouraging words truly impressed me, and it really spoke to her exceptional character and leadership style. It was a wonderful day for our organization and industry, and it gave me true hope for the days ahead.
Not to mention, it was great seeing the other six or so vendors there from similar agencies, making it a vendor fair of sorts. That really spoke a lot about the military and their respect for our industry. With about 165 of these types of stores nationwide, knowing that our products are available in each, along with those of the other vendors, really puts the growing size of our mission into perspective. The BSC program, military bases, and the many blind-made products, each continue to work together in harmony to create jobs and further this mission.
A Moment of Reflection
In closing, there’s one more person I’d like to thank as we celebrate our flagship location, and that’s Todd Hobart, our VIP of BSC Operations. In our industry, if you’re lucky, one of your stores will get recognized every couple of years, but for a good six to seven-year stretch, we were recognized every year for a different store location. That’s how good of a leader Todd is. He also led the BSC Best Practices Committee for all stores, and was chairman for many years until recently. Again, he’s an outstanding leader who is responsible for putting us in the realm of having the best stores in the industry. That honor and recognition means so much to us, and I know we wouldn’t have that without Todd.
For more information on how our BSC stores help provide meaningful employment for people that are blind or have other severe disabilities, please visit: https://ibvi.org/services/bsc-stores/
