FROM THE EDITOR
Cheers for Boston’s All Star Check out this circa 1980 photo of eight Norfolk Hardware staffers in the gritty, blue-collar Mattapan neighborhood of Boston. That’s Stewart Rosen in the middle (bearded), the same Stewart Rosen (clean shaven) who appears with his son, Ben, on the cover of this issue. “This is a really cool picture,” said Ben Rosen, VP of Norfolk Hardware. “I haven’t seen this in a long time. So, I’m fourth generation. My grandfather Carl is the person to the left of my father in that picture, just before the guy with the Yankees cap.”
Ben did not appear in the photo, because he was only five years old at the time. No explanation was offered for the appearance of a New York Yankees hat in a Boston hardware store. More importantly, though, Ben explained two major themes that consistently emerge during conversations with All Star retailers. One is the ability and willingness to keep up with the times. And another is the ability and willingness to be something more than a hardware store. The vintage photo is a far cry from the new look store, thanks to a dramatic
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physical transformation in 2017. As Ben tells it, even gritty Mattapan had become wicked expensive. “We saw this neighborhood just totally change, with all kinds of new residents moving in,” he said. “So, we thought we really needed to update the store to stay current.” And so they did. Wide aisles, bright lighting, a colorful Paint Pub (complete with authentic bar stools) are some of the features of the 40,000 sq. ft. home center. There’s also a kitchen and bath design showroom, which has played a huge role in the growth of Norfolk Company, of which Norfolk Hardware is a division. There are now five standalone Norfolk Kitchen and Bath showrooms. “What’s really cool is how we’ve grown a lot in the fourth generation, and we’ve grown not by buying companies, but we’ve been growing organically,” Ben said. He credits the family business’ ability to add an expert specialty to its general hardware store success. “I think that’s the real story, and I know a lot of people already agree – everybody should find something to really specialize in,” he said. When that happens, “You become a destination.” You can even become an all star. Congratulations to the team at Norfolk Hardware and the 49 other all stars described in our feature beginning on page 19. HBSD
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