"Shop Local, Hire Local"

April 2026

My late father was well known around the island for his “shop local, hire local” tagline. He always shopped locally and encouraged us all to do the same. I grew up knowing where our family’s favorite local butcher was, which local drug store we shopped at, and the names of all the tradespeople that worked with my parents around their many properties. My parents always made a point to introduce us to the locals they worked with and would always encourage us to network with those people to keep money and business on the island as much as possible. We spent countless hours on trips to our small, local hardware store and the lumber yards in town. The bank employees all knew us by name, and the grocers all knew who we were.

Our local insurance agent was a family friend and when we needed something printed, there was one printer in town to handle it. We knew the names of the gas station owner or attendant and when we went out to eat, my dad was always quick to introduce us to the manager, who he would undoubtedly know and shake hands with upon arrival. We were locals and all those we came into contact with seemed to be too. That’s because we were supporting each other, we were familiar with our neighbors and knew who owned the businesses around us and where to get something we needed done. Those times have not so much gone away as much as they have changed. In today’s world, even on our small island, Amazon brings us every need, and the internet introduces us to new people daily who may be selling a service in Galveston but have to ask their phone how to get around the island.

It’s nice to expand our horizons and broaden our reach, it’s great to offer opportunities to the budding businesses all over the “greater Houston area” but it’s critical to support Galveston Island businesses as well. I will always stop at a local vendor for goods and services before I’d hit order now on Amazon. I love Amazon and they deliver all types of stuff to our house, but I do try and shop locally as much as possible. On that note, I hire local trades and I still network with local vendors for all types of services. These connections and the vendors are a vital part of my business and an asset to my clients. When you work with a Realtor take note to ask your Realtor for the names of local handypersons, plumbers, painters, roofers, lawn services, landscaping, electricians, flooring experts, you name, you’ll need it. When you own property on an island, your need for service trades and vendors is never ending. When hiring services for your island property, having a local available to chat with about the project or rely on to get by the house quickly is a must.

I recently helped a customer who had been waiting 6 weeks for a repairman to come fix a dryer because she was using her local contractor from the other side of Houston. I gave her the name of my appliance repairman, and it was completed in 2 days. If you’re not from the island and you need a complete service or a trade to rely on, as your local Realtor. They’ll have the names and contact of all the local people who are reliable and available for you to connect with. The benefit of having a local contractor working on your local property goes beyond quick, reliable service. It’s support for the community of Galveston Island. The support you show for the community by shopping local and hiring locals will feed locals, pay the bills of local companies and contractors, and keep vital resources pumping through the veins of our island community. We have grown and we may have learned a lot of new names but find your connections and offer your support, locally. There’s room in the sand for all.