New In-plant Leaps Forward

"It's not the easiest thing to do," he says. The banners hang in the 19 Mardel stores, a Christian bookstore and educational supply business that is a sister company to Hobby Lobby. Another Hobby Lobby company, Hemispheres, runs five high-end accent furniture stores.

Hobby Lobby itself has 335 stores, with the goal of reaching 400 stores by January 2007. That means a lot of new business for the in-plant. Smith is confident this will translate into more equipment and more employees.