National Wholesale Co. was well-prepared long before its founder’s passing

By Paul Miller

“In the old days, our stock-in-trade was all the technicalities surrounding the hosiery,” Tate says. “But since Wendy has come on board, she and her team have helped build their expertise around fit and quality for this particular customer.”

Still, as McMahan points out, “not a day goes by where you don’t hear, ‘Mr. Smith would’ve loved this.’” Like any entrepreneur, Tate recalls, Smith “never wanted to leave. He wanted to be here till the end. And in essence, he still is.”