Hank Albert, owner of BBC Lighting and Supply, 2015 W. St. Paul Ave., has sold lights for over 35 years. His Menomonee Valley showroom is impressive, stocked floor-to-ceiling with fans, chandeliers, lamps and other fixtures. Albert says the business is holding its own against the Internet and the big box home improvement stores.
Originally from Chicago, Albert graduated from East Division (now Riverside) High School and later got into advertising. His business, Badger Advertising, specialized in door-to-door circulars.
When Badger started printing ads for light bulbs, Albert got hooked up with Century Hardware, a light supply wholesaler, which gave him a good deal on light bulbs. Albert's plan was to buy bulbs in mass quantities at 25 cents each and sell in bulk at 50 cents per bulb. Albert sent out light bulb flyers, which he says didn't do so well, but he soon started getting commercial calls in part because of the flyers, including from large furniture stores in the area.
Furniture stores go through a lot of light bulbs, and in 1975 Albert got into commercial lighting. Albert says they still have these stores as customers. When Century Hardware went out of business, Albert took on some of their people, and the business continued to grow.
In 1995, Albert added residential lighting to the business, including the lighting department in Goldmann's at 10th Street and Mitchell.
Albert said things went well for a while, until Goldmann's couldn't give Albert enough space to sell some Tiffany lamps he had acquired. So Albert started selling lights out of the St. Paul Avenue location of his advertising business.
About five years ago, Albert says he quit the advertising business altogether, selling his company to a local newspaper and putting all his attention toward BBC Lighting and Supply.
Albert says BBC ships over 250 packages of lights, ballasts and batteries every day. BBC's sales are of all different prices and quantities, including $300 specialty light bulbs they ship to hospitals. According to Albert, BBC is the largest supplier to nursing homes in the country and they handle every major builder in the Milwaukee area.
BBC sales include ceiling fans and lighting of every imaginable kind. They sell individual lampshades and packages of bulbs for a few dollars and fixtures that range from under $10 up to $25,000.
Albert jokingly describes the BBC's inventory as "very heavy" and wouldn't venture a guess as to the number of fixtures on the showroom floor. "There's something here for everyone, from the big builder to the homeowner," he says.
Albert says that everything is put up for a reason. They will display a $2,000 crystal chandelier next to one that sells for $200 in order to showcase the range of what's available. They have hundreds of lighting and fan brands in stock, including Kichler, which Albert says is the best line in lighting, as well as Casablanca, Tech, Waterford, Hunter and Schoenbek.
BBC offers free consultation and repairs. And although Albert got his start selling light bulbs, BBC includes free bulbs with fixture purchases.
Albert's father died when Albert was 10 years old. His son, David Albert, has been with BBC for 25 years. David buys the lighting and regular merchandise.
Hank buys close-outs and what he calls "goofy stuff" -- antiques and collectible items, such as life-sized statues, film equipment and autographed pictures of celebrities as well as other signatures. Albert has a check signed by Orville Wright and currently has autographed photos of Al Capone, Frank Sinatra, Joan Rivers and Al Jolson, among many others.
Albert frequently travels to lighting industry shows and other large collector's and distributor's shows. Among other things, Albert has an affinity for speciality coats and jackets, and only has room to display a few at a time, given that the showroom is already covered floor-to-ceiling with fans, light fixtures and lamps.
Albert started collecting with an old Victrola, "one with the horn," he says. Albert then started going to slot machine shows in Chicago and has as many as 50 slot machines, some of which are on the floor of BBC Lighting. Albert says there are many legal issues around the sale of slot machines. They can't be put in gas stations in this state, for instance. They are set up to use slugs (not coins) when Albert sells them and buyers need to be at least 25 years old. Albert questions all the buyers about why they want a slot machine and about its intended use.
Albert's collection also includes vintage rides for kids, which are free to use in the store, but are also for sale. Albert says his prices are better than anything he's seen on the Internet and that includes a fortune teller machine for $6,500, which he got in trade for some lighting over 10 years ago.
Albert says his secret to success is pricing everything at 50 percent off retail. "Nobody starts at 50, and we go down from there," he says.
Albert says that "Saturdays get crazy," but they are also a lot of fun and that BBC has the staff to handle the volume. Albert says the only real challenge to operating such a large showroom is dusting or, rather, people who dust well.
"It's hard to find good dusters," Albert says. "Most people will just move the dust around. We need people to really get in and wipe whole surfaces."
Albert and the BBC staff keep the space welcoming. In addition to the creative displays, there is a lounge area with a television and a wagon offering up freshly popped, free popcorn.
"We have another popcorn machine to roll in if that one breaks down. We gotta have popcorn," says Albert.
