Making It… With Lowe’s unveils top entrepreneur of 2021

Nov 23, 2021

With Small Business Saturday approaching, there is no better time to unveil this year’s Making It… With Lowe’s top supplier! Making It…With Lowe’s is a product-pitching competition that provides small, diverse entrepreneurs around the country the opportunity to sell their products on Lowes.com or in Lowe’s stores nationwide. After thousands of unique product submissions and a few important pitch meetings later, 2021’s top supplier is Thomas K. Barnhill, a United States Marine veteran, and the inventor of QuikSizer Instant Diameter Gauge!

Originally stemming from a product created for jewelers to help size clients’ fingers, Barnhill realized there was a larger market for a similar tool that could quickly size round objects such as nuts, bolts, pipe and tubing. So, he created the QuikSizer. The product features both Standard and Metric scales and is verified to a certified machinist pin for accuracy. 

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Before Barnhill landed in the top spot, he was one of thousands of diverse small businesses who submitted their product pitches to Lowe’s. As submissions were narrowed down, suppliers were invited to meet with members of Lowe's merchandising team to be considered for even more promotion and support. As mentorship sessions took place, Lowe’s selected the top 14 entrepreneurs, who then submitted a five-minute video on why they should make it with Lowe’s.

Of those 14 suppliers, five were chosen by Lowe’s executives to pitch at the program’s finale, hosted by “The People’s Shark” Daymond John. Fans also had the opportunity to choose their favorite supplier by voting online, giving another entrepreneur the opportunity to join the top five at the final round.

Lowe’s executives selected the top 5 entrepreneurs: Kim Craig of the Musashi Weeder, Denise Sung of Watex Mobile Greenwall, Frank Lauyans of AnchorHog, Thomas Barnhill of QuikSizer and John Farnsworth of Gang Box Lid. Making It…With Lowe’s fans voted Dave Chambers & Steven Boyd of The Perfect P-Trap as the fan favorite. The six finalists then geared up for their best pitches to Lowe’s executives, each sharing what they were most looking forward to at the last pitch meeting.

Next stop, Making It…With Lowe’s final pitch competition. Successfully selling Lowe’s executives on their products, Frank Lauyans with AnchorHog and John Farnsworth with Gang Box Lid landed in the top 3 entrepreneur spots, alongside Thomas K. Barnhill with QuikSizer.

Taking the number one spot, Barnhill of QuikSizer has shared that his number one goal is to provide jobs for veterans, making him passionate about manufacturing in the U.S. When Lowe’s asked Barnhill what having the opportunity to sell QuikSizer in Lowe’s stores and online means to him, his response: “business growth as a pathway to creating more job opportunities.”

Lowe’s is eager to help Barnhill reach his goal and bring the QuikSizer to its customers both in stores and online. You can learn more about the QuikSizer and other products on the Making It... With Lowe’s homepage