One Lubbock businessman came up with a simple solution after his house was flooded.  He said he could find sand and bags but not sandbags and just like that “BJ’s Sand Baggers” was born.  
 
In his short time business is booming as he helps prevent flooding and reaches another target market.
 
Barry Joachim, Owner of BJ’s Sand Baggers, said,  “I went to try to buy sandbags and there weren’t any available that were ready to go.”
 
That’s when this local businessman got the idea to open up his own business.
 
Joachim told us,” I started checking into it and the more I checked into it there became more of a need and with Lubbock expanding the way it was there’s less run off into the fields and the streets are starting to flood more and more. It created a market, I felt, so I kind of did my research for a year, year and a half, and found what I thought was the best way to go.”
 
It’s important for folks to be prepared for a storm before it’s too late and with these bags already sewn shut it makes it easy.
 
Joachim explained, ” If you wanna go three high you need to go three wide.  That’s kind of the way it is so you start with three on the bottom, two and then one, you tier up that way the wall is sturdy.”
 
What started out as a way to prevent flooding, quickly turned into much more.
 
Joachim exclaimed, “First week I was in business, I got a call from a company that was out of Washington state and they ordered 5,000 and I hadn’t even made 500 yet.”
 
It’s not just sand in these bags but certain types of granules all uniquely used for a different purpose.  
 
Joachim told us, “The road construction crews, they use a gravel because they need water to flow through the bag that way it doesn’t create a dam.”

He said it has been a learning experience but one that has paid off.