Forty Under 40: Thomas Cole

Thomas Cole believes that while the business of Walker Brothers and Bauman’s is technically providing quality men’s clothing, what they really do is relationships.

“This business is about building relationships, building trust,” Cole said. “The people we service, we really become a part of their lives.”

Clothing, Cole says, is the vehicle to doing that.

Cole grew Walker Brothers, a men’s clothing store, from one store in Fayetteville to three stores in Arkansas, adding a Walker Brothers in Rogers and acquiring Bauman’s in Little Rock.

He has grown the business from a revenue and profitability standpoint, but it’s the culture that he has grown the most, both in size and reputation.

Cole’s employees and customers would all say that Walker Brothers is a place they love visiting, and that’s a testament to Cole building on what his father and mother started more than 40 years ago.

Digby Walker and his brothers opened the first Walker Brothers Dry Goods store in Eureka Springs in 1903. The brothers added stores in Berryville and Cassville, Mo., supplying everything from jeans to luggage.

The original Walker Brothers became the current version of the store, which is now owned by one of Digby’s grandsons, John Walker Cole, and his family.

“We have a focus on service,” Cole said. “If we screw something up, we have a promise to fix it. We care about the people.”

His goals for the future, along with bringing the best service and worldwide clothing to the area, include making sure people understand the importance of local retail businesses.

“You never want to lose the magic of local retail,” Cole said.

And that comes right back to relationships, because providing quality service is caring about the people, he said.