WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME

For 81 years, family-owned Marshall Hardware has served Lakeside

By Jimmy Lovrien jlovrien@duluthnews.com

Scott and Steve Marshall still ring up customers from the wooden counter their grandfather built when he opened Marshall Hardware in 1939. The aisles haven’t changed much since the 1980s and customers can still charge their purchases to a house account.

And yet, the family-owned hardware store has remained a Lakeside institution for 81 years.

“It’s a good community spot,” Steve said. “People come in and find out what’s happening in the neighborhood.”

“And still viable in the Amazon. com era,” Scott added.

Steve and Scott, who have owned the hardware store at 4415 East Superior St. since 2000, when they took over from their father, Lyman Marshall Jr., say the lessons they learned sweeping the floors of the shop in junior high for 25 cents an hour, following around employees and asking questions, still guide them running the store in the 21st century.

HARDWARE: Page 12

That customer service and know-how has helped the store service when chains like Menards, The Home Depot and Fleet Farm popped up in Duluth, and later, Amazon and other online stores.

Not only can they sell a product, but they can also explain to a customer how to use it so they can go home and try it.

“You get great satisfaction out of helping people through their projects and empowering people that they can do it themselves,” Steve said. “We know most of our customers by name.”

That’s helped Andrew Busam, who lives within walking distance of the store and admits he’s not very handy or mechanically inclined.