A Chat With David Isham, president/CEO, National Roper’s Supply

CS: What are your main sales channels?
Isham: I’ve got three retail stores. One in Decatur. One in Weatherford, Texas, and one in Granbury, Texas. We’re about 40 percent retail, 60 percent mail order. Within mail order, about 20 percent of the business comes in over the Web.

CS: How did the company/catalog get started?
Isham: I’ve had my main western store in Decatur since 1989. I’m an active, competing roper/cowboy at rodeos and ropings around the country. I’ve competed since I was 18 years old. I rodeod all through college and got my accounting degree. I went to work for one of the big accounting firms in Ft. Worth after I graduated, knowing that I ultimately wanted to have my own business within my lifestyle and hobby. That was a western lifestyle and equine-related business.