GRAYCO
A
HARDWARE & HOME
young couple needs living room furniture for their new home. Two college girls need beach outfits. A father and son are looking for new fishing rods. A retired gentleman is treating himself to a new grill. And one woman just needs a hammer. Amazingly, all of these shoppers can find what they’re looking for at Grayco Hardware & Home, a locally owned and operated business that really does offer something for everyone. What began as an auto parts store in Beaufort in the 1960s has since grown to include Grayco Hardware & Home with locations in Beaufort and on Hilton Head Island, the Grayco Building Center in Beaufort, Bluffton and Ridgeland, and the Grayco Window & Door Center in Savannah and Augusta. The company’s roots can be traced back several decades to when Port Royal native Richard Gray began working at a local filling station repairing cars. It wasn’t long before he took his knowledge of auto parts and launched Beaufort Muffler & Auto Supply, which evolved over the years to include hardware and eventually become the area favorite for hardware and home improvement. By his side from the very beginning has been Joyce, his wife of nearly 60 years who, according to their son, Herb, offers unfailing support and is an integral part of the business. Herb has been involved in the family business since working summers there while in high school. After graduating from Clemson, he joined Grayco permanently. He’s now the company’s Chief Executive Officer and Ben Tomlinson is President. The business employs more than 250 people, many of whom have been with Grayco for 15 to 20 years. And customers know they can always count on seeing the friendly face of
40 May 2017 | www.BeaufortLifestyle.com
Richard, who’s still at the store every day, working in the office and helping out on the sale floor. He welcomes every customer and treats them all as friends, a practice that is at the core of Grayco’s operations. “Since the beginning, our business philosophy has been that our customers are our number one priority,” said Herb. “We expect all of our store associates to treat every customer as a new friend and build a one-on-one relationship with that person.” He gave a recent example of a retired veteran who needed help buying a mailbox and post. “Our associates went above and beyond expectations and put it all together for him right there in the store,” he continued. “All the customer had to do when he got home was dig a hole for it.” As far as competition from the “big box” stores, Herb isn’t worried. “We believe that you don’t have to be the biggest, you just have to be the best, and we feel that we are,” he said. “Customers don’t wander around in our stores feeling lost and waiting for someone to help them.” He added that pointing across the store to help a customer find an item is not allowed at Grayco; associates instead walk you directly to the item and are ready to answer any questions. Robert Loughran, Customer Service Manager of the flagship Beaufort store on Lady’s Island, said he is proud to work at such a wonderful and unique store. “This is definitely a one of a kind store,” he said. “Customers who come in and are just visiting the area tell me on almost a daily basis that they wish they had a store like this back home. There really is something for everyone here.” Judging by the list of store departments, he’s not exaggerating. Grilling Center, Housewares, Hardware, Lowcountry Living Showroom, Lawn & Garden, Paint Center, to name a few. Within each department, Grayco carries a wide array
of popular brands, including: Weber grills, Yeti coolers, Stihl equipment, Benjamin Moore paint, Columbia sportswear, Meyer’s soaps, Guy Harvey apparel, linens from Pine Cone Hill, and Pawley’s Island Hammocks. Grayco even has a wedding registry, which offers couples the opportunity to select items ranging from china and home décor to lawn equipment and tools. Another component of the company’s business philosophy is philanthropy. For decades, Grayco has donated hundreds of thousands of dollars throughout the Lowcountry, including numerous Habitat for Humanity projects. Richard also donated 77 acres to the town of Hardeeville for a sports complex, which is named in his honor. In 2013, the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce awarded Richard with their highest honor, the Lifetime of Leadership Award, and recognized Grayco with an award for excellence in free enterprise. Grayco Hardware & Home’s Beaufort store is located at 136 Sea Island Parkway in the Island Square Shopping Center. For more information, call (843) 521-8060 or visit their website, www.graycoinc.com.