Great Friends Make Great Business
by Meredith Tullis

When you have two friends with completely different personalities, backgrounds, strengths and weaknesses, it could be hard to imagine accomplishing great things together. Not so if it's Brad Pettiet and Ed Schneider. "We make a great team working together," says Ed Schneider, a native New Yorker, referring to his business partner, Brad Pettiet. After meeting through their daughters' basketball team a few years ago, Brad and Ed have had an ongoing friendship ever since. It is that friendship that makes their Amarillo Bahama Buck's such a success.

The diversity of their experiences creates a perfect match for business partners with Bahama Buck's. Ed, who has a background in the frozen dessert industry, knows the ins and outs of owning a franchise. He is the day-to-day guy who loves interacting with the customers. Brad, a lawyer from Lubbock, Texas, brings his expertise and knowledge in business to help guide decisions for their company.

"We never really have conflicts with each other because we do different things for the company," says Ed. The success of Brad and Ed's partnership is based on the talents each bring to the table.

After the community of Amarillo embraced the first store on Bell Street, the second store was inevitable. The pair began looking for another site to build and found a great location on South Western Street. "Our ultimate goal is to take over Amarillo. We want people to think of Bahama Buck's when they want shaved ice, smoothies or something sweet," says Ed. "We also gain a bigger presence by having two stores."

Now that there are two stores to manage, Ed's life is very busy. "It keeps me young at heart! It is harder to run two stores, but when you incorporate quality people into your business, it's easier to manage." says Ed.

"This has been a great opportunity for me and a blessing to have one of my best friends as my partner." says Ed. Because of their winning combination of talent there is a bright future ahead for this dynamic duo.