Issuu

Mark Whitney CEO, Page Lumber Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

2024 DEALER MARKET

& Spring Online

Buying Event

Score the best buys of the year! Register now for our in-person Dealer Market, happening Feb. 22 – 24 in Orlando, Fla. There you’ll see our industry’s newest products, talk to vendors, attend workshops and clinics, network with other dealers, and experience two concept stores – a pro store and a traditional hardware store. And don’t miss our red-hot Flash Deals.

Plus, our Spring Online Buying Event, which runs Feb. 19 – March 3, is your chance to round out your spring buys with online-only deals, offers, and more.

Chris Miller (right), CEO of Nation’s Best, with employee

Buddy Stewart

ADVERTISERS’ INDEX

COPE craig@thehardwareconnection.com 804-690-0666

EDITOR / PRINCIPAL DOUG DONALDSON doug@thehardwareconnection.com 646-508-7904

MARKETING & CREATIVE DIRECTOR / PRINCIPAL DAN AKERS dan@thehardwareconnection.com 317-797-6609

FOUNDER / PRINCIPAL TOM CHASTEEN tom@thehardwareconnection.com 305-852-6126

FOUNDER / PRINCIPAL CHRIS JENSEN chris@thehardwareconnection.com 317-514-8864

SENIOR BUSINESS ADVISOR JOHN HAMMOND jhammond@thehardwareconnection.com

NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER DAN BECK dbeck@thehardwareconnection.com 518-852-9624

CONTRIBUTORS

TOM BRONSON SCOTT JENSEN PATRICK KELLY CRAIG WEBB

Hardware Connection is published eight times a year by The Hardware Connection, Inc. All editorial contents copyrighted 2024 by the publisher. No editorial may be reproduced without the prior permission of the publisher.

The Hardware Connection, Inc. 91900 Overseas Highway Tavernier, FL 33070 TheHardwareConnection.com

ASHELF LIFE The Only Constant Is Change

fter clicking through the first few pages of this issue, you may have already noticed some changes. From the cover to the back page of Behind the Numbers, the magazine has undergone a redesign, sort of the same way a hardware store needs a reset from time to time.

We hope the new design provides readers with a fresh, new look and an easier way to access the magazine. As you enjoy the new design, I want to share a big kudos to Dan Akers, the publication’s creative director, who took a thoughtful and thorough approach to how the publication now looks.

The magazine also has a new editor. After serving as the publication’s senior editor this past year, I’m stepping into the role of editor, filling the very big shoes of my predecessor, Chris Jensen, who retired this past December.

This past fall while compiling the How’s Business section, I had the opportunity to interview Pat Kelly, owner of Kelly’s Chelan Hardware in Chelan, Wash. While asking him questions about his store, the phone went quiet. He was getting choked up thinking about what his business meant to him, his family and his community. His hardware store isn’t only his livelihood; it’s his life. That’s why

By Doug Donaldson

I asked Pat to write the article “How to Tune In, Turn On to Radio Advertising” about how he tells his store’s story during a morning radio show.

As part of being a new editor, I get to try new things, like changing the name of the editor’s column to Shelf Life. To me shelf life is a kind of fun way to acknowledge that we must keep our content fresh. That’s my goal as your new editor. Another one of those new things you will find on page 32, the inaugural Launched/Landed department of the magazine. On these pages, I hope to explore the secret sauce that goes into how a product or company takes its game to the next level. In this issue, we look at why Stanley tumblers flew past their construction worker lunchpail tradition into the zeitgeist of everyday life.

Highlighting the Stanley story not only helps hardware retailers understand this success but shows a path you can follow in your business. From the Stanley story, their viral success is not something that occurred overnight just because of one video, but because of a carefully crafted shift in customer target that made the whole thing possible. It’s very much a case of making the most of an opportunity, sort of what I’m starting here as editor of Hardware Connection.

I step into the editor’s position at a momentous time for the publication. In addition to celebrating the magazine’s 15th anniversary (spoiler alert: We’re going to have a special 15th Anniversary Issue later in the year), this January, the Hardware Connection’s Century Club notched its 1,000th member, Page Lumber in Poughkeepsie, N.Y. I had the privilege to visit the store in person and interview CEO Mark Whitney.

The hardware stores and lumberyards in the Century Club reflect innovation, determination and resilience. They adapt, make tough business decisions and show grit in the face of obstacles. The Century Club members

are innovators who show us the way, through every kind of change.

I also want to sincerely thank my Hardware Connection partners—Dan Akers, Craig Cope, Chris Jensen and Tom Chasteen—who have enabled me to take this next big step. Special thanks go to Chris, who continues to share his knowledge and insights.

In the coming months, I will be at some of the major hardware shows. Please say hello and tell me the story of your store, company or product and how it’s changed and adapted over the years. I want to hear it, even if it means taking a moment and collecting yourself because it means so much to you. n

INNOVATIVE PRODUCTS FOR YOUR EVERYDAY HOME PROJECTS

Go from constantly wasting money on dead stock to freeing up $100,000 in tied-up, unsold inventory.

Just like lumber dealer Exotic Woods did with Spruce!

Moving away from their clunky software was a no brainier for Exotic Woods, but they had no idea how much it held them back. When they found Spruce, ECI’s end-to-end business management solution created specifically for lumber and home and building suppliers, they knew it was time to make a change.

Since being live on Spruce, Exotic Woods has gone from storing orders in a paper box to a full, streamlined document management system that has saved significant time and money.

10 hours per week shaved off payroll

$2,000 saved in paper costs annually

$100,000 savings in inventory

AIHI Conference 2024: Uniting Independent Hardware Retailers

nniversaries are special moments in life that provide an opportunity to block out all day-to-day activities and reflect on the journey. Last year, marked the 35th anniversary of The Hardware Conference at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Marco Island, Fla. It also marked the eighth year since my wife, Shanti, and I took over the management of the event from founder Tom Chasteen and wife, Dale.

On January 10, 2024, we announced The Hardware Conference and the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) joined to create a singular event for Independent Hardware Retailers—the Independent Home Improvement Conference (IHI). Click here to learn more. The event will occur August 27-29, 2024, at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort.

The Hardware Conference has always been hosted in Marco Island, first at the Hilton Beach Resort and Spa until outgrowing the property and moving up the street

By Craig Cope

to the Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort before it earned JW status. The only exception occurred in 2017 when Hurricane Irma, which made its second landfall on Marco Island, forced us to move to Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. We are the property’s oldest consecutive reoccurring event, which is reflected in our extremely low room rate of $208 per night for a five-star resort on the beach.

The three-day Independent Home Improvement Conference will host multiple retailer award programs, education sessions, training opportunities, panel discussions, and keynote speakers, to name a few of the attractions. The Hardware Conference slogan was “where relationships are formed,” and

1-COMPONENT SPRAY PERFORMANCE EASE PERFORMANCE

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READY, FAST COVERAGE

DAP® WALL & CAVITY FOAM is a ﬁrst-of-its kind, patent pending wide spray applicator and pre-mixed low-GWP formula that, like a 2-Component spray foam, air seals and insulates with ultimate spray control.

ATTICS & CRAWL SPACES

WALL CAVITIES

RIM JOISTS

our new agenda offers plenty of time for guests to engage in in-depth conferences with other retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and leading industry executives.

Attendees will have ample time to enjoy the property’s numerous amenities, including three miles of pristine private beaches on the Gulf of Mexico, 12 restaurants, two championship golf courses, and a private spa. The property also features an adults-only section, Paradise by Sirene Suites. Attendees staying in Sirene have access to the adults-only rooftop pool, restaurants, and personal beach butler service for

drinks and snacks on the sand. The resort provides a perfect blend for families looking to build memories on the beach or couples looking to enjoy a private getaway in paradise.

Shanti and I are genuinely excited for this next chapter in the evolution of bringing independent hardware retailers together, regardless of wholesaler affiliation. I constantly say, “Regardless of the flag you fly in the front of your store, all hardware retailers face the same challenges.”

Stay tuned for future updates, and we look forward to hosting you in Marco Island! n

*Comparing 80-gallon heat pump against pre-2015 similarly-sized standard electric using DOE EF to UEF conversion rates. Savings may vary.

SHARDWARE STORIES Amazing but TRUE

ometimes, we can stump ourselves. We have a rental fleet of outdoor power equipment, including stump grinders. One employee was cleaning a stump grinder, getting it ready, and he couldn’t get it started. He called me over and we checked the gas, oil and carburetor. Well, there’s a switch with the words “on” and “off.” Turns out, when you turn the switch to the “on” position, it starts much easier.

Chris Lewis | Jeffries Hardware | Columbia, Ky.

Had a lady come in and buy wood filler to cover cracks in wood. She kept buying it, three, four trips to the store to buy more over a few months. I asked her what she was working on and she said that she kept filling a crack in the tongue and groove ceiling above her porch after it rained. I suggested that she needs to fix the hole on the top.

Robert Futch

Shuman Cash Supply Jacksonville, Fla.

This past September, a man walks in asking about hedge clippers. After being shown his options, the man dips out of view from the store’s surveillance camera. A little while afterward, security cameras show him putting a small, black object on a store shelf. He then helped himself to a free bag of popcorn and rode off on a bike. Turns out, he used the hedge clippers to snip off a GPS ankle monitor. Maybe he thought that it was an out-of-the-way spot, that he’d just come in and we’d have hedge clippers. The other stores in the plaza do not have them, and we were “the helpful hardware folks” with the hedge clippers, yes we were.

Cheryl Haytcher

Ashtabula Ace Hardware

Ashtabula, Ohio

Dear STIHL Dealers,

As we continue into 2024, I want to take this opportunity to reflect on the accomplishments we achieved together over the last year. We’re proud to share that amidst industry downturns, STIHL and STIHL Dealers continued to secure greater market share in both the gas and battery segments. Thanks to the unwavering support of STIHL Dealers, STIHL is now the #1 selling brand of gasand battery-powered handheld outdoor power equipment among landscape and tree care professionals in America.*

The outdoor power equipment industry is rapidly evolving, and at STIHL, our focus is to not only respond to change, but to shape it. Understanding our customers’ evolving needs is paramount, and STIHL Dealers play a vital role in developing the relationships that are

critical to our success. That’s why we will continue to invest in bolstering our dealer support resources, including comprehensive STIHL training for you and your team and timely access to the right products for your customers. In line with this commitment, we are also expanding our ecommerce capabilities, enabling you to seamlessly offer buying options to your customers 24/7.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all STIHL Dealers for their dedicated support and continued commitment to STIHL. We are uniquely positioned to continue to lead the industry in offering the latest product innovations regardless of power source. Together, by remaining at the forefront of technological advancements, we will set the standard for quality, efficiency,

and customer service. We look forward to our continued collaboration, and together, we remain STIHL Strong.

Chris Keffer President & CEO, STIHL Inc.

HARDWARE PRODUCTS REVIEW ShopTalk

By Craig Cope

CRESCENT ® BOLT BITER™ IMPACT NUT EXTRACTOR & DRIVER

Anyone who has turned a wrench knows the frustration of removing a stripped, rusted or damaged bolt. I grew up with the “heat it and beat it” technique, and while taking out your frustration on a damaged fastener can

be therapeutic, it is also highly timeconsuming. Crescent® has created a tool to eliminate the stress and time required to complete the job—the Crescent Bolt Biter™ impact nut extractor and driver. PRODUCT #1:

grated magnet, allowing the fastener to stay in place for either extraction or driving. At the end of the socket is a 1/4 hex shank for compatibility with impact drivers and drills. Click here to watch a brief company video on the Bolt Biter’s features.

We received samples of the five-piece set with a 1-7/8” length shaft ranging in sizes from ¼” to ½”. Crescent also offers a three-piece set with a 6” length shaft. Our testers were anxious to see how the Bolt Biter would perform. Living in South Florida provides us with ample access to rusted or damaged fasteners. We have a saying: “South Florida, where even plastic rusts!”

The Bolt Biters were tested on rusted fasteners found in boat bilges, ATVs and trailers. All testers responded with the

“ IF YOUR STORE STOCKS SOCKETS OR SPECIALTY TOOLS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER ADDING THEM TO YOUR INVENTORY. YOUR CUSTOMERS WILL THANK YOU LATER. ”

same opinion: “These are game changers.” The Bolt Biters removed every rusted and stripped fastener our testers could throw at them. Another tester said it best: “Every toolbox needs a set of the Bolt Biters.”

If your store stocks sockets or specialty tools, you should strongly consider adding them to your inventory. Your customers will thank you later.

PRODUCT #2:

HYDE 9” ROUND DUST-FREE SANDER KIT

The name Hyde requires no introduction in the hardware channel as the company approaches its 150th anniversary. Hyde tools are renowned as the ultimate companions for painters, drywall experts and remodeling professionals. The company slogan is “For a Better Finish, Start with Hyde®.”

The sander boasts a nine-inch round pivoting head mounted to a two-piece lightweight aluminum extension pole. The included six-foot hose attaches to traditional wet/dry vacuums. Additionally, the sander features a suction control valve, enabling users to adjust to various surfaces. Removing up to 99 percent of dust while sanding, the nine-inch sander includes long-lasting net abrasives with three grits: 120, 180 and 240.

Designed for contractors or serious DIYers, we provided a sample to a local painter tackling a significant refinishing project. Initially concerned about the fatigue of maneuvering a nine-inch sander up and down a painted wall, our tester’s worries were swiftly alleviated by the lightweight pole. Upon completing the job over multiple days, he reported, “It worked flawlessly. Not only did it reduce the sanding time, but it also significantly reduced my clean-up time.”

If your hardware store serves professional painters and contractors, consider the Hyde nine-inch Round Dust-Free Sander as an exceptional addition to your inventory. n

How’s

Business?

MIDWEST

How were sales and customer counts in 2023 and so far in 2024? For 2023, customer counts were down, sales were up and our margin was up, maybe about 2 or 3 percent. Rolling into 2024, we’re up 22 percent for January. We’re in a small town in northern Minnesota and the summer gas prices may have made people stay at home.

Most unique things about your business? For us, it’s our variety. We’re not the typical hardware store. We sell just about everything such as firearms, ammo, car trailers, utility trailers, poultry in the spring.

Goals for 2024? We definitely hope to increase margin and customer count and drive more sales. We’re remodeling the store and expanding, adding another 8,000 square feet to make us an about 30,000-square-foot store, which is good for a town of only about 3,000 people. We sell to larger businesses nearby. For example, Marvin has a window manufacturing plant about 20 miles away.

What are your strongest niche categories? Sporting goods for sure. We

on expanding his store another 8,000 square feet during 2024, increasing the footprint to 30,000 square feet.

draw people from a long ways away. Some drive two or three hours to shop here. We’re big with Milwaukee tools. We’re hoping we can expand and focus on barbecue. We also sell guns online and that’s been a good niche for us, too.

Does sustainability figure into your business? Yes and no. We have big timber and logging companies nearby, but those people aren’t going to go to battery. But homeowners, yes, they’re looking to buy battery-powered equipment and we’re selling a lot of it, and it keeps getting more and more in demand.

Matt Berger Roseau Ace Hardware Roseau, Minn.

Left: Matt Berger, owner of Roseau Ace Hardware, plans

In the spring, Roseau Ace Hardware in Roseau, Minn., has found a solid niche by selling poultry.

NORTHEAST

How were sales and customer counts in 2023 and so far in 2024? Toward the end of the year, everything slowed down because of how cold it was. We weren’t selling as much bird food. Snow came late. The beginning of this year has been great.

Most unique things about your business? Every customer gets treated like they’re the only customer in the store, every time.

Goals for 2024? We’re looking to go above and beyond our previous sales numbers. We can do that with an emphasis on add-on items and with training. With Milwaukee, DeWalt, Craftsman and Traeger brands, we’re looking for additional sales through add-ons.

What are your strongest niche categories? We’re known for having top-of-the-line EGO lawn mowers. In the past couple of years, we’ve gone into Big Green Egg and Traeger in addition to our Weber grills. Yeti has been one of the bigger sellers for us, too. Does sustainability figure into your business? More and more customers are going toward battery-operated equipment. There’s definitely a push. As more and more people see what battery-powered power equip-

In recent years, Plummer’s Hardware in Buxton, Maine, has expanded its grilling department, adding new brands and promoting products through special events.

Upper: In 2024, Plummer’s Hardware looks to exceed previous sales numbers by emphasizing add-on sales and employee training.

ment can perform, they are going with that trend. People out in the woods still stick with engine gas-powered. Within the city, customers are going with battery power to cut down on noise pollution because of ordinances.

Aaron Winn, manager Plummer’s Hardware Buxton, Maine

Lower:

HOW’S BUSINESS?

SOUTH

How were sales and customer counts in 2023 and so far in 2024? The start of this year has been sluggish. In 2023, sales were strong, about back to the pre-pandemic level of 2019. In south Georgia, new housing and people fixing homes drove our business. We’ve been strong in plumbing, bringing in new fittings such as SharkBite and PEX.

A family business, Central Hardware celebrated 75 years this past year with owners Baxter Shaw (pictured) and his sister, Annie Strother.

Most unique things about your business? The store has about 10,000 items, lots of stuff that Home Depot doesn’t sell such as fishing poles, tackle and ammunition.

Goals for 2024? We want to retain the customers we have and look for

growth in other areas such as paint or electrical departments.

What are your strongest niche categories? We’re very strong in plumbing and have about 75 percent contractor customer base. We’re known among plumbing professionals in the area, because we have a large amount of inventory. Plumbing contractors know we’ll have the product and in sufficient quantities so they can get the job done. Does sustainability figure into your business? Not down here in south Georgia.

Baxter Shaw Central Hardware Brunswick, Ga.

SOUTHWEST

How were sales and customer counts in 2023 and so far in 2024? We’ve been down since 2022. A lot of income around here is pretty tight and getting sales out there is pretty tough. We’ve also had some tough times getting stuff on the shelves. People are trying to conserve money and the weather on the Western Slope has been bad, so people stay indoors.

Most unique things about your business? We go above and beyond for customers. I’ve gone to customers’ homes and installed grills and showed

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HOW’S BUSINESS?

them how to use the grills. Also, the experience of the staff is pretty unique. I’m an experienced beekeeper and another employee has lots of experience with chain saws, so that brings customers in, too.

Goals for 2024? Improving sales is the big one. We want to do a bit more advertising and get people in the store. One of the things that’s been really helpful is our POS system from Epicor, which is able to measure the amount of people we have in the store on a specific day.

What are your strongest niche categories? We pride ourselves on having a nice, clean store. We have a big selection of nuts and bolts, including a big gun screw section. We’re known for having weird odds and ends, gaskets, painting apparatus. Does sustainability figure into your business? On occasion it does. The only ones we carry are STIHL. Our typical customer for battery-powered products is a little older homeowner. Landscapers still use gas,

In the coming year, Montrose Hardware in Montrose, Colo., plans to increase advertising to boost customer counts.

because it gets the job done without spending time charging batteries. Matt Vlach, manager

Montrose Hardware

Montrose, Colo.

WEST

How were sales and customer counts in 2023 and so far in 2024?

Great. Being in a small town, we feel like the majority of the town embraced us better than what we anticipated. We’re seeing growth of 20 to 30 percent. Most unique things about your business? We’re able to carry products that most people don’t expect. We have buying opportunities through Ace or third-party sellers, and we sell a lot of

local products, such as cooking spices and barbecue sauces, including Elkhorn SmokeHouse and Alpine Touch.

Goals for 2024? I’d like to keep it simple. I want to take care of customers and invest in our associates. Customer satisfaction is a metric I watch very closely. I look at receipt surveys and reviews on Google and other platforms. Social media is a great way to discover customer satisfaction levels.

What are your strongest niche categories? Anything seasonal and that’s really surprised us. It was shocking how well inflatable paddle boards sold last summer. We were hesitant to bring them in, but that product sold re-

NEW

Red Rotary Laser

HOW’S BUSINESS?

ally well. We adapt to the season with those sales and it proved to pay off. Does sustainability figure into your business? Absolutely. EGO and STIHL, which we recently brought in, are strong sellers, and we have a solid selection of battery-operated outdoor equipment. Our customers seek out those products. When having conversations with customers, some are still die-hard gas-powered product purchasers. But when we take the time to show people how battery-powered products work, they do change their mind. Definitely a shift in the market. This winter, battery-powered snowblowers outsold gas-powered snowblowers 10 to 1.

Dakota Bogart, manager

Columbia Falls Ace Hardware Columbia Falls, Mont.

Left: Employees at Columbia Falls Ace Hardware in Columbia Falls, Mont., (from left) Joseph Hooker, Sheila Fowler, and Manager Dakota Bogart, have seen customers seek out local products such as spices and barbecue sauces.

Right: A popular local product for Columbia Falls Ace Hardware is locally made Elkhorn SmokeHouse barbecue sauce.

Welcome to the Hardware Connection Century Club!

The Hardware Connection Century Club, sponsored by Intermatic Inc., recognizes “The Innovators and Survivors Who Helped Build America.” Our Century Club currently includes 785 hardware and LBM retailers, 20 wholesalers and 206 manufacturers that were founded in the United States of America and remain in business after 100 or more years.

You can find the complete list of Century Club members including old store photos and links to company history by clicking here. We congratulate the following retailers who have been added to the Hardware Connection Century Club this year:

Andrew Posey & Son Hardware, Jasper, AL—1924

Bourassa True Value Hardware, New Bedford, MA—1924

Bowling’s Feed and Hardware, Catlettsburg, KY—1924

Braun Building Center, Manitowoc, WI—1905

Carl Eliason & Company Lumber & Hardware, Sayner, WI—1924

Chairtown Lumber Company, Gardner, MA—1924

Clark Devon Hardware, Chicago, IL—1924

Congleton Lumber, Lexington, KY—1905

Denver Lumber Company, Denver, CO—1923

Gennett Lumber Company, Fletcher, NC—1901

Guy C. Lee Building Materials, Smithfield, NC—1924

Hamilton Building Supply, Hamilton, NJ—1924

Heller Lumber Company, Arlington Heights, IL—1924

Holman Supply Company, Moultrie, GA—1920

FROM CAMPSITESJOBSITES, TO VIRAL SUPERSTARDOM

QUENCHING THE PUBLIC’S THIRST FOR A FEEL-GOOD STORY

In 1913, inventor William Stanley Jr. fused vacuum insulation and the strength of steel in one portable bottle, inventing the all-steel vacuum bottle. Hardware stores have been selling Stanley thermoses for about 100 years. While always seen as a reliable way to keep hot drinks hot, the famous tumbler from Stanley (a member of the Hardware Connection Century Club) has burst into the national spotlight. That onramp to celebrity started with a shift in marketing and got really, really hot after a car fire.

This past November, TikTok user @danimarielettering shared a video of the aftermath of her car fire. During the video, she showed that while her car was burned out, her Stanley Quencher was intact and even still had ice in it. The video went viral with more than 84 million views and more than 50,000 comments.

Stanley President Terence Reilly seized the marketing moment and in a video offered to replace her car along with giving her some new Stanley cups. The marketing move turned out to be genius, generating more than 32 million views. Stanley’s revenue went from $70 million to $750 million and the brand went viral. Demand

LAUNCHED/LANDED

for Stanley cups has skyrocketed, with customers camp ing outside stores to buy the special edition Quencher for Valentine’s Day. The cup craze has gotten so much atten tion, “Saturday Night Live” parodied the phenomenon in an episode in January.

Even prior to viral success, Stanley sought to expand its customer base. Stanley’s tumbler was previously a main stay of jobsites and campsites, but in recent years the com pany has been shifting marketing and design efforts to attract female customers. New Quencher features include comfy handles, straws and a vast selection of colors.

Released in late January, Stanley’s limited-edition, Lunar New Year-themed Year of the Dragon tumbler sold out in 30 minutes. Inspired by the mythical creature in the Chinese zodiac, the design includes camellia flowers and sakura blossom, a bright departure from the green Stanley thermos from earlier decades.

PAGE LUMBER BECOMES 1,000TH MEMBER

OF THE CENTURY CLUB

DEALER PROFILE

By Doug Donaldson

Founded in 1924, Page Lumber in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., reached the milestone of turning 100 years old and joining the elite ranks of other hardware industry stalwarts.

Page Lumber has helped build New York’s Hudson Valley. This January, Page helped the Hardware Connection Century Club reach a significant milestone of 1,000 members.

Upper: Page Lumber’s flagship store is a 20,000-square-foot home center on the east side of Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Lower: On Route 55 in Poughkeepsie, Page Lumber has helped build the Hudson Valley for 100 years.

DEALER PROFILE

Page Lumber’s tool corral houses several major power tool brands and related accessories. When the store was reset in 2011, Page Lumber’s distributor, Orgill, assisted in the design and merchandising of the tool corral.

DEEP ROOTS

Page Lumber’s roots in the region run deep. The company’s founder, Henry G. Page Sr., was born on the very site of the lumberyard’s current location in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., about 80 miles north of New York City.

Before becoming a state-of-theart home center and lumberyard, the site was the Manchester Hotel, which Samuel McCabe acquired and passed down to his daughter, Mary McCabe and her husband, Gustavas Page. Together, the couple repurposed the hotel into G. Page Groceries.

In 1924, Henry Page Sr. bought a cement block-making machine from Sears and Roebuck and started making concrete blocks. Even today,

Above: Company founder Henry Page Sr. was born on the site of the company’s current flagship store in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

DEALER PROFILE

visitors to the lumberyard on Route 55 to the east of Poughkeepsie can see the same type of aggregate that Page Sr. used to found this business. Today, the company is run by a board made up of the family’s third generation along with CEO Mark Whitney, a 32-year veteran of the retail hardware industry with stints at Curtis Lumber, Avon Wholesale Supply and BrockwaySmith Company.

About 80 percent of Page Lumber’s customers are professional contractors and builders. The Poughkeepsie location has a dedicated contractor entrance and large space devoted to assisting pro customers.

FORMULA FOR LONGEVITY

Whitney credits Page Lumber’s longevity to one of the company’s mantras: Help customers be successful. To better serve customers, Whitney says Page Lumber staff constantly ask: What are we doing that’s beyond just providing a product?

“We make a lot of decisions to provide support and service to some of the smaller business people who

would otherwise struggle to be able to do so on their own,” Whitney says. “We can bring some scale to those things.”

Some examples of that support Whitney cites include estimating, 3D modeling and takeoffs. He says that the 3D versions of construction plans provide a detail that helps contractor and builder customers beyond the estimating process and into the construction process as well.

“I think it’s a significant thing that we get to help people experience the American dream,” Whitney says. “That’s something. We’re not just selling lumber and hardware and paint. We’re helping people really experience something that’s very important in their lives.”

Page Lumber CEO Mark Whitney is a 32-year veteran of the retail hardware industry and brings a collaborative spirit to his management style.

STAFFED FOR SUCCESS

Page Lumber has 74 employees, many on staff for decades. For example, Dave Gray, previously an outside sales representative and currently a part-time associate, has been working for the company for 55 years. The company values employees’ feedback and encourages employees to contribute and be part of decision-making processes.

“We want to make this a place that our people enjoy coming to work,” Whitney says. “We foster a culture where we encourage people to speak their mind and that’s one of the touchstones in making any decision.”

As part of its compensation package, Page Lumber offers profit sharing with all employees. However, Whitney

DEALER PROFILE

says the biggest challenge Page Lumber faces is drawing new people into the company.

“It certainly encompasses a lot of energy, time and effort,” Whitney says. “We don’t want to compromise how we go about that effort. We want to make sure that we are very conscious about bringing people into the organization who fit our culture, who will be good teammates. We want them to trust us, we want to trust them, and we

1000 TH MEMBER

Page Lumber has the distinct honor of being the 1,000th company to join the Hardware Connection’s Century Club.

all work better together when we have that kind of relationship.”

Finding qualified new employees is a challenge, but Page Lumber doesn’t rush the process. During the interview process, conversations are longer to allow prospective employees to get to know the company as well as the interviewers who are assessing the candidates.

“We want people to look at us as a place they can build a career and invest in themselves,” Whitney says.

1,000TH MEMBER OF THE CENTURY CLUB

Century Club members often represent four, five or even six generations of family members. When times got tough, they worked harder and smarter. These are companies that helped build America.

As a program of Hardware Connection magazine, the Century Club chronicles the stories of distributors, manufacturers and retailers who have innovated, adapted and changed to stand the test of time to be 100 years old or older. These companies outlasted wars, recessions, fires, floods and the competition. These

On the Century Club website , you will find galleries of historic store photos and links to store histories, listed state by state on the U.S. map. If you know of any we missed or would like to update information on any Century Club companies, please contact Editor Doug Donaldson at doug@thehardwareconnection.com.

RIGHT-SIZE STORE ADJUSTMENTS

Today, the company has three locations: The flagship location on Route 55 in Poughkeepsie is a 20,000-squarefoot home center and lumberyard on four and a half acres; the Amenia, N.Y., location is 9,000 square feet; and the Pawling, N.Y., store is an 11,000-square-foot location. Each location tailors its assortment to customer bases, which are a bit more rural than the Poughkeepsie location.

As an example of responding to the local market, Page Lumber recently consolidated its Lagrangeville location landscaping business to its Poughkeepsie location.

As far as niches in each location, Whitney sees Page Lumber as a good partner for customer projects. “We want to try to help people from beginning to end,” he says. “We have to have the right assortment so customers can have good, quality brand products for whatever project they’re working on.”

Such projects include decks, interior and exterior painting, and window replacement. Whitney cites Page Lumber’s relationships with vendors such as Andersen and Benjamin Moore who offer products that support customer projects.

CENTURY CLUB PARTNERS

In 2007, as Page Lumber was expanding after purchasing some

“

CONNECTING WITH ORGILL ENABLED PAGE TO EXPAND ITS PRODUCT OFFERING

AND UTILIZE ORGILL’S STORE DESIGN AND MERCHANDISING SERVICES.

other locations, the company turned to Orgill as its distributor, another Century Club member. Connecting with Orgill enabled Page to expand its product offering and utilize Orgill’s store design and merchandising services.

“Orgill certainly worked hard during the COVID disruption,” Whitney says. “They were open to us in terms of being transparent and communicating and doing the things that we could adjust, so that we could continue to

DEALER PROFILE

serve our customers during that turbulent time.”

When it began its relationship with Page Lumber, Orgill utilized its Market Driven Research (MDR) program, which provides data and trend analysis for specific store locations. By working with Orgill, Page was able to identify product categories, depth of product lines needed and pricing. This information helped Page capture as much margin as possible while still

The store reset in 2011 also included the addition of a paint center, and paint has been a strong seller for Page since then.

being competitive on price, according to Mike Esposito, their Orgill sales representative.

With Orgill’s assistance, Page Lumber locations underwent a complete store redesign, creating better adjacencies and providing a cleaner, more shoppable experience. The new

design included decor and aisle configuration that opened up the traffic flow. Orgill also assisted in the creation of a tool corral and a store-within-store paint department. In addition to being more welcoming, the new store layout exposed customers to more categories as well.

The relationship is a two-way street, like Route 55 in front of the Poughkeepsie location. In the late 2000s, Orgill sought to expand its lawn and garden offerings and wanted input from customers including Page Lumber. Representatives from Page worked with Orgill buyers to select lawn and garden products that would be beneficial not only for the New York retailer but for retailers throughout Orgill’s network, according to Esposito.

Esposito visits Page Lumber at least once a week to talk with store buyers and CEO Whitney. Esposito has a fullcircle relationship with the Hudson Valley company. More than 30 years ago, he was the ServiStar sales representative to Page Lumber.

During these visits, Esposito credits the Page Lumber staff with being indepth students of the industry. “The very first thing they say when I visit is: ‘What’s going on out there?’” Esposito says. “They are sponges for information and data. They want to know matrixes and vendor information along with what’s going on with Orgill as far

as fill rates and vendor contributions. They always challenge themselves to be better.”

CONTINUED FUTURE INNOVATION

Page Lumber continues to adjust and adapt. This winter, the company is making a transition to a new operating system, installing Epicor’s BisTrack system.

“The impetus for the change was to open the door for us to be able to do more meaningful things to better connect with our customers,” Whitney says. “Particularly in our trade relationships, providing a tool like that to our customers enables us to interact better.”

Going forward, Whiney looks to utilize technology to analyze business data and enhance customer relationships.

“We want to embrace technology to spend more time doing things that matter to customers,” Whitney says. “We want to make sure we create an environment where we can find a way to say yes to the things that we’re being challenged to do for our customers.”

As far as the next 100 years for Page Lumber, Whitney says, “We want to fight hard to get better at what we do every day. Often, that opens the doors to new opportunities and we’d like to try to identify what’s on the horizon for our business and our industry.”

PAGE OF HISTORY: 100 YEARS IN THE HUDSON VALLEY

THIS PAGE LUMBER TIMELINE SHOWS THE COMPANY’S MILESTONES AS IT GREW OVER THE DECADES.

1924 – BUILDING BLOCKS FOR THE FUTURE

Henry G. Page Sr. purchased a cement block-making machine from the Sears and Roebuck Catalog. This was the foundation of H.G. Page.

1934 – EXPANDING THE FAMILY AND BUSINESS

Henry G. Page Sr. married Josephine Coniff Rittinger and their three sons, Henry Jr., John, and William, grew up working in the family business along with their uncles and cousins. Family members pitched in stocking shelves and unloading rail cars.

Page Lumber’s Amenia, N.Y., location is a 9,000-square-foot store with an assortment tailored to a more rural customer base.

1950 – DIVERSIFYING INTO BUILDING MATERIALS

As the cement block industry grew increasingly competitive, Henry G. Page Sr. adapted and expanded the business to sell building supplies, including roofing and insulation.

1962 – LAUNCH OF THE LUMBERYARD

A dramatic shift in the business took place this year when Page opened a lumberyard to align with the

Upper: The company’s Pawling location is an 11,000-square-foot store that offers lumber delivery, kitchen and bath design along with a window and door showroom.

Lower: Henry Page Sr. began his business in 1924 making cement blocks from a cement block machine he ordered from Sears and Roebuck.

population transformation of Dutchess County from agricultural to residential.

1978 – REVOLUTIONIZING LOCAL BUILDING SUPPLIES

Page opened a larger home and building center, which enhanced the company’s line of products and set a higher standard for local lumberyards and building supply stores.

1980 – ENHANCING INVENTORY AND SERVICES

To greatly increase the available inventory for customers’ home and

building projects, the company built a new storage building across the road from its Route 55 Poughkeepsie location.

1993 – HENRY SR. PASSES

Many customers remember Henry Sr. for his unique presence in the store—assisting customers or humorously shining his shoes with a banana peel. He was known for his distinctive approach to management, including dismissing customers he mistook for idle employees.

DEALER PROFILE

The 6,500-squarefoot Home Design Concepts Showroom serves pro and homeowner customers with a wide array of samples and design services.

As Dutchess County became more residential, Page Lumber shifted its business model to include more building materials, which included delivery services for builders.

2004 – HOME DESIGN CONCEPTS SHOWROOM OPENS

Along with celebrating the 80th anniversary of H.G. Page & Sons, the company opened a 6,500-square-foot Home Design Concepts Showroom, an event that attracted more than 3,000 customers.

2007 – BRANCHING OUT, ADDING ORGILL

Enhancing the company’s clout in the building supplies sector, H.G. Page & Sons acquired three new locations in Dutchess County: Amenia, Pawling and Lagrangeville. To align with this expansion, H.G. Page & Sons also selected Orgill as its primary distributor partner this year.

2011 – GRAND REOPENING X4

Following extensive renovations, the four H.G. Page & Sons locations held grand reopenings. Along with fresh, new looks, the locations also added a larger, diverse range of new products, reflecting the company’s commitment to innovation and market trends.

2024 – CELEBRATING A CENTURY OF DEDICATION

This year H.G. Page & Sons commemorates its 100-year anniversary, joining the Century Club. William “Bill” Page, the last surviving son of Henry Sr., passed in 2023. Now known as Page Lumber, Millwork & Building Supplies, the company remains familyowned and operated, with a board of six of Henry Sr.’s grandchildren, and CEO Mark Whitney. n

NRF CONVENTION

By Craig Webb

7 BIG IDEAS FROM THE RETAIL INDUSTRY’S BIG SHOW

You may regard yourself as being in the construction and home improvement business, but if you’re a dealer, you’re at heart a retailer. That’s why I joined roughly 40,000 people in New York in January to look for ideas at the National Retail Federation (NRF) annual convention. The NRF’s Big Show produced a slew of products and trends that hardware retailers should consider. Here are seven:

Delivery services such as Gently.io are expanding. After already serving the Los Angeles area, the electric-powered vehicle service is expanding into New York City and other major metro areas in coming months.

1. ELECTRONIC PRICE TAGS/INFO BILLBOARDS

You might have heard of these products for years but questioned how well they work and how long the batteries last. The old electronic tags were limited. Today’s electronic tags can be controlled by Wi-Fi or through signals from the lights, with batteries that can last a decade. Perhaps more important, new electronic price tags come in far more sizes, making it possible to provide lots of information. They can even be interactive. Imagine a price-tag bar that helps customers pick fasteners, caulk or tools without having to wait on staff. (If you go this route, keep

in mind that you will need staffers or outside help—probably in marketing— who can write the promotional copy for these screens.)

The tags also enable stores to change prices more often and more selectively. Offering discounts for only a few hours during a Ladies Night is a classic example. With electronic tags, you can choose which products to discount and by how much rather than having to offer a certain percentage discount for every product in the store.

Today’s electronic tags can be controlled by Wi-Fi or through signals from the lights, with batteries that can last a decade.

NRF CONVENTION

New software can be plugged into existing camera systems to identify potential shoplifters or customers who simply look lost and don’t know where to find what they want to buy.

2. CAMERAS THAT TRACK INVENTORY

You might have heard about dealers such as McCoy’s Building Supply that use robots to track inventory. The Big Show had several robots, but here’s an alternative: a camera that you can hang on a shelf and have it scan stock on the shelves across the aisle. The resulting picture, connected to software, identifies which products need restocking. If you want to add your store’s planograms to the software, the camera can tell whether the store’s staff are following planogram instructions.

While a robot likely would be used on every aisle, the camera’s maker, Vusion, envisions these cameras being

used selectively, in rows that are particularly important. They can be moved whenever needed.

3. SOFTWARE UPGRADES FOR CURRENT CAMERA SYSTEMS

Several companies promoted software that found new, creative ways to use the images your existing cameras record. Such software can spot potential shoplifters or customers who simply look lost and don’t know where to find what they want to buy. Tractor Supply uses this software to watch people outside the store who are checking out tractors, and the software tells employees there’s a potential buyer who could use some help.

With cameras around the top edge, smart shopping cart systems can spot whether someone scanned a cheap item and then put in an expensive one, as well as whether someone placed an item into the cart without ever scanning it.

4. SMARTER SHOPPING CARTS

From Brazil and Germany came next-generation shopping carts already in use. Both Brazil’s Nextop and Germany’s SmartShopper come attached with a scanner and a weighing system that notices what was put into the cart. (Fun fact: a liter of Coke is heavier than a liter of Diet Coke.)

With cameras around the top edge, the systems can spot whether customers scanned a cheap item and then put in an expensive one, as well as whether a customer placed something into the cart without ever scanning it. Both systems let you make a credit-card payment, but they will summon an employee if it notices you tried to cheat along the way. Aside from not needing as many employees at checkout, Nextop says a vendor also can defray its costs by selling advertising on the cart’s sides.

New in-store cameras can be placed on a shelf to scan stock on the shelves across the aisle. The resulting images can be analyzed by software to identify which products need restocking. The software can also tell if a store’s planogram is filled correctly.

5. REIMAGINED IN-STORE EXPERIENCES

It’s no surprise that surveys show a majority of people prefer to shop online rather than in a brick-and-mortar store. Over the past 25 years, many brickand-mortar stores have become mere warehouses, designed to be visited as quickly as possible, with uncommunicative staff and nobody having fun. That perception contrasts with a survey of 2,500 people by WD Partners and NRF, which found that the four qualities people most appreciate in a store are inspiration, discovery of unexpected stuff, great staff, and an attractive vibe.

Think Build-a-Bear workshops, convenience stores where you can sit and lounge, and a J. Crew in NYC’s Soho district that “looks like your cool friend’s apartment,” said WD Executive Vice President Lee Peterson. The key here is to marry online convenience with in-store cool. For LBM dealers, this means moving as much rote stuff as possible to e-commerce and to inside sales teams. Don’t worry so much about what’s in the store. Instead, use that space as a source of inspiration. Some LBM dealers are already following this advice, such as how Do it Best’s recent redesign makes endcaps a place to inspire customers.

6. OUTSOURCED DELIVERIES

From Los Angeles comes Gently.io, which for $6 per package offers sameday (typically within three to four

“ THE FOUR QUALITIES PEOPLE MOST APPRECIATE IN A STORE ARE INSPIRATION, DISCOVERY OF UNEXPECTED STUFF, GREAT STAFF, AND AN ATTRACTIVE VIBE.

hours) delivery of products in dozens of ZIP codes in L.A. It plans to expand into the New York City metro area in the second quarter of 2024 and in other major metro areas in the third quarter of the year. Products must weigh less than 25 pounds, so its value to dealers is limited, but Gently will burnish your green credentials, as it uses only electric vehicles.

Businesses like Gently’s come and go all the time, but the idea of outsourcing remains worth examining. The Home Depot uses Walmart’s GoLocal on a white-label basis, and an

NRF CONVENTION

New electronic signage tags come in far more sizes, making it possible to provide lots of information and help customers with commonly asked questions.

Australian home center has teamed up with Uber to provide deliveries of smaller products (that can fit in a trunk) for a set fee.

7. AVOID AI HALLUCINATIONS

Yes, everyone at the Big Show was talking about artificial intelligence, but the comments during sessions with IT leaders were relatively cautious. Several speakers warned of AI hallucinations—when programs generate bad reports because they weren’t trained well enough on which data matters and how to interpret that data.

“We need to do a better job teaching people how to ask questions when they create tasks for AI,” said Nena Pidskalny, director of supply chain and planning at Canada’s Federated Co-operatives, which includes 90 hardware stores in western Canada. Once a bunch of AI-generated reports are created, IT directors need to examine which are being used most.

“This is a technology with tremendous promise, [but] when you try to apply it to scale you have to take your time,” said Seemantini Godbole, Lowe’s chief digital and information

officer. She said her company is working on only seven to eight meaningful use cases at a time, declaring: “We don’t want to die a death of 100 pilot [projects].”

Godbole, who has led Lowe’s digital advances over the past five years, disputed suggestions that pro contractors wouldn’t embrace an online relationship with a dealer. “Pros were the first to say ‘I’ll be the power user of omnichannel [communications],’ ” Godbole said.

She noted how pros had embraced a tech innovation in which an executive at

a company could authorize one of the company’s employees to, on a one-time basis, come to Lowe’s and make a purchase. This move reduced to seconds a process that used to require the Pro Desk to contact the account owner and get authorization that otherwise sometimes took a long time to confirm. n

Craig Webb is president of Webb Analytics, a data and research consultancy that helps executives in construction supply spot the trends, threats and opportunities that matter most. Contact him at cwebb@webb-analytics.com.

Q&A: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

Prior to founding Nation’s Best in 2019, Chris Miller was the vice president of operations in the South and Western regions at U.S. LBM.

HOW NATION’S BEST UNLOCKS THE

‘MAGIC’ OF COLLABORATION

Recently, Hardware Connection magazine had an exclusive opportunity to have a conversation with Chris Miller, CEO of Nation’s Best, which owns and operates 52 locations in 16 states. He shared his insights on expansion, navigating past the pandemic and ways member stores work together.

Q&A: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

HC: Nation’s Best launched in 2019, then had to contend with the pandemic. How did facing such a nonbusiness-as-usual environment inform the way you do business now?

Miller: The timing of the pandemic, just months after forming Nation’s Best, was definitely a curveball that wasn’t in our “gameplan” for 2020. However, the pandemic was a significant boon to our industry, and really helped us accelerate our growth during those affected years. Since COVID has subsided, we are seeing our stores return to business as usual in most respects. We now have better and stronger partnerships with our vendor community since our inception, and I feel like we have come out of the pandemic with more certainty now more than ever on a steady supply chain of materials and merchandise, no matter what the next curveball may be.

Miller (right), with employees such as Buddy Stewart, Nation’s Best events coordination manager (left), foster a company culture that can make decisions on the go when needed and quickly change directions if needed.

Q&A: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

HC: When considering adding a new location, what appeals to you? What boxes need to be checked for a store to become part of the Nation’s Best portfolio?

Miller: There are many scenarios that could make an acquisition target more attractive than others. How well is the current ownership running the store? How have sales, margins, and profitability trended over the last three to five years? Are they already doing the necessary retail 101 basics, such as regular cycle counting, payroll management, using their ERP system to the fullest capabilities, use of technology, keeping equipment/fleet conditions in top form? We also look at the condition of the store itself to determine how much cap-ex (capital expenditure) dollars will need to be spent to modernize the store either through a store remodel or a new inventory reset or both. Lastly, I really look for locations that are the “best in class” in their local markets. Either being the only game in town, or the best game in town, is what really gets me excited.

HC: Headquartered in Dallas, yet with a portfolio that includes locations such as Illinois, Michigan and Florida, how does Nation’s Best determine where to expand next? Do you research specific regions? Any areas drawing your interest lately?

Miller: Our geographic stretch has mostly been driven by the opportunities when great stores become available to join the Nation’s Best family, not necessarily by a strategy to be in one area more than another. We are definitely strong in the South-Central region of the country and continue to grow stores there; however, we are quite bullish on the Sunbelt and Southeast region of the country as well. However, if a great opportunity is available outside of those areas, we always look to get a deal done if they have great management already in place to take the store into the future with us.

HC: What emerging trends or technologies in the industry do you believe will significantly impact the company in the coming years?

Miller: I do think the use of technology is critical for any company in our industry to stay competitive. We will continue to invest in our online shopping presence and digital marketing efforts. Also, I do believe that the use of AI has only scratched the surface in the retail space. We want to be early adopters of these new and exciting uses of AI as they become available, and I truly

Nation’s Best shares best practices among its locations. For example, Hall’s Hardware & Lumber in Milton, Fla., shared their idea to give new customers gift bags with a branded coffee mug, pencils, the Best Rewards application, and a gift card. The practice has been rolled out to other Nation’s Best locations.

Q&A: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

believe it will fundamentally change the customer shopping experience and the way we do business much sooner than later.

HC: How does Nation’s Best Holdings measure success? What goals do you have for 2024?

Miller: Obviously, I look at overall profitability and sales metrics as a “success” indicator; however it goes so much more beyond that. Are we creating and maintaining the culture that I originally envisioned? Are we giving every associate opportunities to grow their careers with us and proving everyday how much we want them to personally succeed? Is our Support Center continuing to exude the sincere notion that “Our Stores Are Our Customers” with every interaction they have with a store level associate? Do we have true entrepreneurs in every corner of our stores that want to win each and every day? Of course, if all of this is happening the way we strategically plan, it usually will flow to a P&L at the end of the day to prove it in the numbers.

HC: How would you describe the corporate culture of Nation’s Best, and how is it implemented throughout the company?

Miller: The questions just mentioned above are what I really care about when it comes to culture. I want us to be a

company that can make decisions on the go when needed and be able to quickly change directions if our current game plan isn’t working. We do not want a company full of “corporate” overhead, but just the right amount to help truly support each store. Our motto is to “treat others the way you want to be treated,” and we try to preach it and live by it in all interactions we have. We want to have a servitude attitude and remember that retail comes with a lot of humility.

HC: What upcoming projects, partnerships or expansions can you share as part of Nation’s Best future plans?

Miller: We just completed a Lambert Lumber & Home Center in Cooper, Texas, with the soft opening occurring on January 29. We are very excited to have been able to build a home center exactly as we have always envisioned, and it turned out to be a beautiful store in an underserved market. In addition, we have plenty of folks that we are talking to regarding mergers and acquisitions this year. We have multiple letters of intent already in place, and I can see the pipeline staying quite busy for the rest of 2024.

HC: How do you ensure that locations in your portfolio maintain local, hometown customer service even though they are part of a larger, national organization?

Miller: We always keep the stores’ brand and staff as part of the acquisition process. We feel there is just too much equity in the name of the location or chain, and the wonderful people that work there and live in those local communities. We then continue to have those brands support the same local events and charities that they had in the past. We are huge supporters of local 4-H clubs, rodeos, county fairs, sports leagues, etc. We want our stores to continue to have deep ties and relationships in our local communities through our people, and we actually expect them to continue to do these things as they had in the past.

HC: What would be an example or two of a lesson learned in one Nation’s Best location that was implemented in another location or throughout the company?

Miller: The sharing of ideas and best practices between the stores is really part of the overall “magic” of what we have created. We have endcap competitions monthly where each store shares their best endcap ideas on Microsoft Teams for all to see, and we also have incredible store manager collaboration through various regional meetings and our annual meeting. One really fun idea that Hall’s Hardware & Lumber (in Milton, Florida) brought to us was their new customer gift bag. It is a blue bag with the Hall’s logo, which includes a branded coffee mug, pencils,

In early February, Nation’s Best acquired Malone Home Center in Greenville, Ky., adding another state to its portfolio.

the Best Rewards application, a gift card, and lots more. If one of our associates sees a customer walking around with this bag, it alerts them to go over the top on making them feel welcomed and giving them the true “wow” factor that we want each customer to experience. We have since rolled out this idea to many locations.

HC: What makes Nation’s Best different than others in the same space within the marketplace?

Miller: I think what makes us different is how we run the company. We manage as a democracy, not a dictatorship. We want as many ideas flowing up to us from all levels of employees. We make decisions putting customer service first, but also how it affects the other stakeholders of the business is heavily weighed as well. We are trying to build a consistent and memorable experience that a customer will have regardless of which store they are in, which is something I don’t see other consolidators in our industry concentrating on. n

BUSINESS SAVVY

By Tom Bronson

HOW TO CREATE GOALS THAT BUILD VALUE

MAKE YOUR BUSINESS WORTH MORE WITH THESE 5 BENEFITS OF KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS.

Ever wonder about the secret sauce behind making your store not just good but great? It’s all about measuring the right stuff: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs). In our world, where a single bolt or a power tool can make or break a customer’s project, understanding what to measure and how to do it can really set you apart. What gets measured gets done. What does that even mean? And is it accurate? Regular reporting

KPIs are critical business measurements that give business owners information to make decisions and improve results. While KPIs have become inescapable corporate lingo, it’s also how small business owners should think about goals.

and measuring of key activities keeps you focused. KPIs are critical business measurements that give business owners information to make decisions and improve results.

KPIs are like your store’s scoreboard, showing how well you hit those business goals. And as a hardware store owner, you have some unique KPIs to keep an eye on. Take, for example, the

BUSINESS SAVVY

If you have a Pro Desk to help your contractors, like Park Supply Company in Athens, Ala., KPIs can provide an estimates-to-sale ratio. If you know how many estimates your team is preparing, you will be able to predict your contractor sales volume.

hustle of keeping up with customer demand. By tracking things like how fast items sell out or which products are customer favorites, you can make smarter decisions about what to stock. That’s just the start. Think inventory turnover, customer satisfaction, average transaction value, or even how quickly you get products on the shelves. It’s not just about measuring; it’s about acting on what you find.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF KPIS?

KPIs are the scorecard of your business—the “tale of the tape” of how your business is doing. Many companies use them to help measure success against business goals. While KPIs have become inescapable corporate lingo, it’s also how small business owners should think about goals. KPIs help business owners keep what is important in focus. Here are five ways KPIs help:

Stay ahead of risk and get ahead of issues. Every business owner should be in the habit of forecasting their KPIs. Most business owners calculate a point-in-time measurement only. That is a good start, but forecasting KPIs is a great discipline that businesses should implement. (See Leaders and Laggers section below.)

REALLY grow business. By measuring KPIs, it becomes clear what you need to do to achieve your business goals. It’s simply a matter of going back upstream and determining your needs. If I want to grow 10 percent, and I’ve been growing at 5 percent, I need to double my growth rate. I know how many customers it took to get there and work the numbers backward. Make more informed, data-driven decisions. If you want to expand in, say, two years, you can start breaking down those key components to get there. With data, you can set targets to achieve your goal. For example, if you have a pro desk to help your contractors, KPIs can provide an estimatesto-sale ratio. If you know how many estimates your team is preparing, you will be able to predict your contractor sales volume. KPIs help you to plan, not guess. It helps you plan smartly and efficiently so you are not shooting arrows in the air, hoping one of them will hit the target.

Find the right questions to ask. To take action, business owners must ask questions on all aspects of their

“

IF YOU KNOW HOW MANY ESTIMATES YOUR TEAM IS PREPARING, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PREDICT YOUR CONTRACTOR SALES VOLUME. ”

business. Here is an example: A local hardware store might track the average transaction value (ATV), measuring how much customers spend during a single transaction. Tracking the ATV is crucial for hardware stores, as it provides insights into customer spending habits and helps identify opportunities for increasing sales. As a business owner, you decide what is vital to driving your results.

Stay

on course toward

goals.

Remember this about KPIs: They evolve. Just think about 2020. Always look at your KPI versus your goal and what you are measuring. It isn’t enough to measure KPIs; you should also set targets for each to ensure optimal performance. Targets are the road signs that lead you to your destination. Make sure it is a smart KPI. Smart as in SMART goals—Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-based.

BUSINESS SAVVY

Costco greeters count every customer that walks into the store to help measure average transaction value (ATV) and with that metric, the company can predict the sales based on customer count. If sales are down, they need to do something to get more customers to walk into the store— specials, mailers, emails—anything that increases traffic.

Specifically, focus on the “measurable.” It has to be something you can measure today, then focus on improving that measurement result. An example: If you have ever gone to Costco, you know that there is an employee at the front door counting every customer that walks into the store. That’s because Costco is measuring ATV and with that, they can predict the sales based on customer count. Therefore, if sales are down, they need to do something to

get more customers to walk into the store—specials, mailers, emails—anything that increases traffic.

TRACK LEADERS AND LAGGERS

Including leading and lagging KPIs on your business scorecard is good practice. An excellent way to understand how these terms apply to your business: Lagging indicators are a function of accounting, and leading indicators help you predict what will happen in the future. To put it another way, lagging indicators are the rearview mirror and leading indicators are the windshield.

Lagging indicators are the result of the efforts. They tell you how you performed against your goal, past tense. Examples of lagging indicators might be net profit, revenue, and recurring revenue. Business owners typically look at these stats already but may not call them KPIs.

Leading indicators are those activities that help you achieve your goals, such as with the Costco example. Leading KPIs help you correct your course, but both are equally important. For example, if foot traffic declines at the beginning of the month, then as a business owner or sales manager, you know you need to ramp that up at the end of the month to hit your target.

HOW TO USE A KPI SCORECARD

Business owners who are serious about achieving their goals should set up a scorecard to track and measure their KPIs. You use scorecards to track and store your KPIs (also known as metrics) and measure progress. Start with a basic Excel or Google sheet. Add time to your schedule each week to measure, report, and act on these metrics. Some companies should track some of those metrics hourly or daily. For example, if you are trying to control overtime costs, that is a daily and sometimes an hourly metric.

Hagan Ace Hardware, with 11 locations in north Florida, follows several metrics as part of its benchmarking process. One metric that has helped Hagan Ace gauge success is sales per labor hour, which measures efficiency and customer in-andout convenience.

The more frequently you look at it, the more you can make those adjustments to impact the outcome. There are many different resources that talk about scorecards, but one of our favorites is the entrepreneurial operating system or EOS, as described in Gino Wickman’s book Traction. The

BUSINESS SAVVY

key is to get started and then evolve and grow with your business.

One of my personal favorite metrics was cash. As CEO of my company, my CFO knew I wanted to know where we sat with cash each day before I opened my door. This KPI was a daily metric we used to make decisions. It also gave us a cash forecast that ran out 36 months. Because of the complexity of the business and the number of acquisitions we were doing, we had significant lump payments that were due quarter over quarter to pay off debt or payouts.

By measuring that daily and forecasting, if I got hit with a massive AP or payroll, I knew we needed to adjust to make those quarterly payments. This tracking gave me the time to adjust before it was too late. I could predict in advance whether I needed to borrow additional capital from the bank or raise additional capital with our investors. We got good at it. I could predict and see those issues a year in advance, sometimes two years in advance. At a minimum, I recommend a 90-day forecast in any business to understand where your cash is going.

BEWARE OF KPI OVERLOAD

Some companies measure and report on thousands of KPIs. How do they have time for anything other than managing and reporting on KPIs? KPIs

“ WHAT GETS MEASURED GETS DONE!

A GOOD RULE OF THUMB IS TO HAVE 8 TO 12 KPIS THAT KEEP YOU ON TOP OF WHAT IS HAPPENING. “

are essential, and most likely, all of those KPIs measure mission-critical activities, but prioritizing and knowing which KPIs have the pulse on your business vitals is critical to success in an organization. How does a business owner know which KPIs to measure? What is my competition measuring? A lot of industry information can tell you what your counterparts or other players in the market are measuring for their success. Frequently, those are the lagging KPIs. Take those and figure out what the drivers in your business are. What is going to make that KPI move? And then work backward. What makes that needle move? And it’s different for

each company. It takes some time and thoughtfulness, and it’s unique.

At my last company, we had several business units and departments within those business units. In our weekly management meeting, every manager was reporting on two or three of the most critical KPIs we knew were our business drivers. My support manager is tracking three to four dozen KPIs for his department. But as a business owner, I only wanted to know two or three metrics. If someone on the team saw something alarming, we would drill into the details to see a bigger problem. But at the senior level, your KPIs need to be manageable. A good rule of thumb is to have eight to 12 KPIs that keep you on top of what is happening. Think about it like this: If you were on a beach somewhere, what eight to 12 metrics can tell you how your business is doing and if you need to get involved?

JUST DO IT

Where can these industry standards be found? Your banker might have some good information to get you started. If you have a good banking relationship, ask your banker about KPIs. Industry organizations, groups, publications, and conventions are good for information on industry-specific KPIs. For hardware stores, I’d start with these KPI: Inventory Turnover

Customer Satisfaction

Average Order Value

Return on Investment

Revenue Growth Rate

Gross Margin Percent

Web Traffic

Web Sales Conversion Rate (for retailers who sell on their websites)

If you’re an overachiever, here is a list of KPIs by discipline and sector published by Intrafocus. Don’t be overwhelmed; it’s an exhaustive list. Pick the 10 or 12 you need in your business to get started.

Think of KPIs as the toolbox that helps you fine-tune your business for peak performance. Start today. Open up a spreadsheet and get started. Track and measure, set targets, and achieve that successful business that leads you to your dream exit. n Tom Bronson is president of Mastery Partners, a consulting firm that helps business owners define and achieve their ideal dream exit. He is author of two books, Maximize Business Value and Maximize Business Value Playbook. As the keynote speaker at the 2023 Hardware Conference in Marco Island, Fla., Bronson shared ways retailers could increase the value of their businesses.

LAS VEGAS TOOLS TO TECH: NHS PREVIEW

WHAT TO

EXPECT IN

The 2024 National Hardware Show® will showcase innovation and with new exhibitor categories, immersive experiences, and live demos.

About 1,400 exhibitors representing 18 different categories will be on the floor during the 2024 National Hardware Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

Registration is now open for the National Hardware Show® (NHS) and this year’s event promises a slew of interactive experiences, loads of new exhibitor categories along with

several educational programs to help business thrive for all attendees. The Las Vegas Convention Center will host the NHS March 26 to 28. Register here.

“We are bringing new categories to the table to enhance the shopping experience and new programs and perks to add value to the overall show experience,” said Beth Casson, event leader, National Hardware Show. “We strive to create an event that serves the entire hardware and home improvement industry and are committed to helping the industry continue to thrive.”

Highlights of the NHS show include:

• New and popular exhibitor categories. New categories in the 2024 NHS include gift, hobby, craft, sporting goods, and services and solutions. Popular and returning categories that will pack an almost sold-out show floor include BBQ, grills, outdoor, garden, building, electrical, hardware, tools, homewares, paint, plumbing, global sourcing, new technologies and many more. Attendees can expect a diverse showcase of products and services that will shape the future of the industry.

Limited space remains for exhibitors, and exhibitors can visit here for more information.

Las Vegas hotels.

SHOW HOURS:

Tuesday, March 26 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Wednesday, March 27 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Thursday, March 28 9 a.m.-1 p.m.

NHS Backyard (Outdoor) Hours

Tuesday, March 26 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Wednesday, March 27 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday, March 28 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

The Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall is convenient to several

NHS PREVIEW

Chefs representing exhibitors will compete in the Celebrity Chef CookOff on Tuesday during the NHS.

• Industry professional attendees, events: New this year, NHS welcomes attendees from a vast swath of industry professions including carpenters, electricians, drywall installers, general contractors, HVAC technicians, landscapers, masons, mechanics, painters, plasterers, plumbers, and remodelers. These invited guests can make lasting connections, gain valuable insights, and craft innovative and lucrative strategies for their business growth through educational and networking opportunities. To welcome these new attendees, there will be an exclusive PRO

Party for a night of celebration, networking, and good times.

• NHS Influencer Program:

Following the successful 2023 NHS Influencer Summit, well-known influencers and industry leaders will attend as prominent guests, offering insights into the latest trends and innovations through videos from the show floor with content posted in real time. Influencers are welcome to attend as invited guests of NHS.

• Education, information sessions. Leaders from the retail hardware industry will host educational sessions for independent

hardware retailers that are designed to train team members in advanced product sourcing, merchandising, and acquisition strategies.

• NHS Backyard: See and experience outdoor products firsthand. The NHS Backyard is the National Hardware Show’s home for all things lawn, garden, farm, ranch, outdoor living, and grilling. Sample food created by grilling masters all day. Each day, the NHS Backyard will host live music in the Backyard Beer Garden.

• Celebrity Chef Cook-Off. This annual competition in the NHS Backyard will challenge exhibitor

chefs to cook their best slider and appetizer. A panel of judges will rate the dishes and the best ones win cash prizes. The Celebrity Cook-Off is on Tuesday, March 26, with cooking starting at noon and judging at 2 p.m. In 2023, Tim Scheer representing BluesHog won the grand prize.

• United Inventors Association (UIA) Stage: As a platform for inventors to showcase their groundbreaking products and ideas “Shark Tank” style, the UIA

Registration for the NHS is now open. In addition to general attendees, registration is open to influencers and content creators, trade professionals and media.

NHS PREVIEW

Home to all things lawn, garden, farm and ranch, the NHS Backyard is where attendees can view live demos of outdoor products.

stage will have lively presentations and reflect the latest innovations in the industry. The UIA Product Pitch Panels will be hosted by business leaders to guide inventors to success.

• VIP exclusive experiences. The NHS will make a splash this year by hosting a VIP reception at the Sphere, the newest, biggest attraction in Las Vegas. This reception

will be an exclusive networking opportunity for exhibitors, industry leaders and VIP attendees. In addition, NHS has partnered with After Dark, an event tour company, to provide exclusive access to popular attractions in Las Vegas.

INDUSTRY THOUGHT LEADERSHIP IN EXECUTIVE SUMMIT

The Executive Summit will host informational sessions with prominent industry leaders. The sessions include:

The Consumer at Home: How Changing Consumer Preferences and Behaviors Impact Hardware Retailers and Manufacturers presented by Lokesh Ohri, EY Americas consumer consulting leader. With EY’s propriety consumer research as well as macroeconomic insights, Ohri will discuss consumer shopping and buying behavior today, what they anticipate for the future and specifically where consumer behavior is shifting for home and hardware companies.

Applying Consumer Trends to Merchandising and Planning

Strategies presented by Nichole Jones, EY-Parthenon Principal, merchandising strategy. This session will help attendees understand how to apply consumer trends to merchandising and planning along with providing useful information about product offerings, generational view on channel strategy and employee implications.

Remodeling Trends by the Numbers presented by Houzz VP of Industry Marketing, Liza Hausman. This session will be an inside look at what homeowners want based on new data from the 2024 Houzz & Home Study— the largest annual residential remodeling, building, and decorating survey published. Attendees will learn what exactly is driving the industry, from top homeowner priorities and motivations to popular projects for the kitchen, bath, and beyond.

State of the Industry hosted by Gina Schaefer, co-founder Recoveryhardware.comAcehardwaredc.com, will be a discussion among industry leaders about the current state of business and expectations for 2024 and beyond.

How to Achieve Sustainability in the Hardware Industry will examine the new emphasis on ESG, sustainability, and the Circular Economy. Erik Caldwell, vice president supply chain operations-The Home Depot, and Tony Sciarrotta, executive director of The Reverse Logistics Association, will share an overview of the state of the hardware industry as well as best practices that have been in place at The Home Depot and other members of the Reverse Logistics Association.

79 YEARS OF INNOVATION ON DISPLAY

NHS has served the home improvement marketplace for 79 years, beginning in New York during the

“ A SESSION ON HOW TO ACHIEVE SUSTAINABILITY IN THE HARDWARE INDUSTRY WILL EXAMINE THE NEW EMPHASIS ON ESG, SUSTAINABILITY, AND THE CIRCULAR ECONOMY. ”

post-World War II housing boom, moving to Chicago in the 1970s, and now to today’s current home in Las Vegas. As an education and networking platform serving the hardware and home improvement industry, the NHS focuses on cultural, environmental, and technological developments shaping the future of modern living. NHS unites and guides the industry at its live events and on its interactive channels by delivering unparalleled opportunities for fostering connections, deepening insights, and building innovative and profitable strategies for growth.

NHS PREVIEW

The Las Vegas Monorail makes getting around during the NHS easy. Several hotels are among the seven stops along with the Las Vegas Convention Center.

PLAN YOUR NHS EXPERIENCE

With about 1,400 exhibitors in 18 categories, you can plan your booth stops by browsing the full exhibitors list.

The Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall is convenient to several Las Vegas hotels. In addition, the Las Vegas Monorail is an easy transportation solution that connects several Strip hotels with the Las Vegas Convention Center. The monorail is a fast, convenient way to get from one end of the Strip to another in just minutes. Trains arrive every few minutes at one of seven stations, including MGM Grand Station, Bally’s/Paris Las Vegas Station, Flamingo/Caesars Palace Station, Harrah’s/TheLINQ Station, Las Vegas Convention Center Station, Westgate Las Vegas Station and SAHARA Las Vegas Station.

The Las Vegas Monorail system is open 7 a.m. to midnight Monday, 7 a.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 7 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday through Sunday. The Las Vegas Monorail is offering National Hardware Show attendees exclusive fare discounts . Attendees can also skip the line and scan using your phone right at the gate. Paper tickets are still available at ticket vending machines and customer service desks on the station for full price. Use the Monorail to travel the Strip and to the convention without the hassles of traffic and wasted time. In minutes,

“

THE LAS VEGAS MONORAIL IS AN EASY TRANSPORTATION SOLUTION THAT CONNECTS SEVERAL STRIP HOTELS WITH THE LAS VEGAS CONVENTION CENTER.

Monorail riders can travel the Las Vegas Strip in a safe, clean, and climate-controlled environment.

A free, easy way to get around at the Las Vegas Convention Center is the Vegas Loop, which quickly transports passengers throughout the 200-acre Las Vegas Convention Center campus. The system consists of two one-way, .8-milelong tunnels built to accommodate allelectric Tesla vehicles driving at speeds of up to 35 mph. Four passenger stations offer convenient access between the new West Hall and the existing campus (North/Central/South Halls).

Attendees can access Vegas Loop at Las Vegas Convention Center West Station (adjacent to West Hall, this station is located aboveground) where NHS is located.

There is currently no charge to travel between stations at the Convention Center or from The Convention Center to Resorts World Station. The Vegas Loop is available at the Resorts World Passenger Station, providing direct access to and from the Las Vegas Convention Center. Purchase tickets here. n

Nominations Now Open for 2024 Beacon Awards

We’re seeking the best of the best! Hardware Connection is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Beacon Awards. Winners of the Beacon Awards will be honored during the new Independent Home Improvement Conference, scheduled for August 27-29, 2024, at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Marco Island, Fla.

The Hardware Conference and North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) are joining forces to host the Independent Home Improvement Conference, a new event for the hardware industry.

In August 2023, NHPA hosted its first Independents Conference in Dallas. Just a few weeks later, The Hardware Conference marked its 35th anniversary in Marco Island, Fla.

Beacon Award winners will be honored during a dinner banquet during the Independent Home Improvement Conference. In addition to the Beacon

Presented By

Beacon Award winners will be recognized at the 2024 Independent Home Improvement Conference in Marco Island, Fla.

Awards, the event will offer independent hardware retailers opportunities to network, share ideas and attend breakout sessions about better business practices.

The Beacon Awards, a recognition program that was introduced in 2013, recognize the best of the best

Here are the 2023 Beacon Award winners and sponsors.

independent hardware and home improvement retailers from across the country while encouraging a new generation of retailers to make their mark in the industry.

Do it Best and Orgill are wholesale sponsors of the Beacon Awards. Other 2024 sponsors include Epicor Software Corp., Ettore Products and Fluidmaster.

The 2024 Beacon Awards will honor the Retail Beacon Award winners for each of the participating wholesalers, plus the Best New Stores in two categories: under 20,000 square feet and over 20,000 square feet. The Best New Stores category honors existing retailers opening a branch store or a newcomer opening a ground-up business. Recipients of these awards represent the cutting-edge future of the industry.

Here are last year’s Beacon Award honorees:

Retail Beacon Award—Carr Hardware, Pittsfield, Mass., owned by Bart Raser.

Retail Beacon Award—R.P. Lumber Company, Edwardsville, Ill., owned by the Plummer family.

Beacon Award for Best New Store—Townsend Building Supply, Panama City, Fla., owned by Michael and Turner Townsend.

Beacon Award for Best New Store—Tum-A-Lum Lumber, Pendleton, Ore., owned by the Cornelius family.

DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS IS MAY 1

The deadline for Best New Store nominations is May 1, 2024. Retailers can nominate their own stores, and nominations are accepted from wholesalers.

Judging will be based on the following criteria: financial performance (sales, profits, margins); community involvement; store design; merchandising displays; promotion activities; specialized product areas or niches; employee training and recognition programs; and innovative retailing concepts.

BEACON AWARDS

Above: Conference attendees will have plenty of time to enjoy the gorgeous white-sand beach of Marco Island, Fla., just steps from the JW Marriott.

Right: Winners of the Beacon Awards receive an all-expensespaid trip for two to the awards ceremony at the JW Marriott in Marco Island, Fla.

Best New Store nominees must have been open at least one year to a maximum of four years. The store could be built to replace one destroyed by natural disaster or it can be a new branch store. Nominated stores must feature all the core departments: electrical, hardware, lawn and garden, plumbing, paint and tools. The 2024 Beacon Awards Banquet will be held at the JW Marriott in Marco Island, Fla. Honorees will receive: allexpenses paid trip for two to the 2024 Independent Home Improvement Conference in Marco Island including conference registration, airfare, ground

transportation, hotel and meals. They will also receive a Beacon Award trophy and be featured with an article in the Hardware Connection magazine.

EMAIL NOMINATION INFORMATION

To nominate a store, please include detailed information for each of the judging criteria, attach any relevant pictures, list the date of new store opening and also provide retailer name, store name, square footage, address, phone number and email address. Email nominations by the May 1, 2024, deadline to Editor Doug Donaldson at doug@thehardwareconnection.com. n

RETAILER2RETAILER

By Patrick Kelly

HOW TO TUNE IN, TURN ON TO RADIO ADVERTISING

The advertising world has gone off the deep end. I wouldn’t buy a thing off most radio or TV ads. Most of the ads are uninformative and have gone to shock tactics to get your attention so you will remember their name.

Even if it’s somewhat corny, people tend to listen to ads that are teaching them something about a product they may need. For example, in my radio ads, I may talk about how to select a portable heater. I explain what the customer is trying to accomplish, whether it’s heating a person sitting in front of the television, trying to heat a crawl space, or a room or small building

Kelly (right) in the KOZI radio station studio with Jeff Conwell, program director and morning show host. Kelly believes live interview ads bring the best results.

where their water pump is located. People don’t understand the difference between different types of products, whether it’s heaters, fuses or light bulbs. They are ignorant on these subjects.

Ignorant does not mean stupid. On the contrary, it means lacking knowledge or awareness of a certain subject. I have always felt that a simple, uncomplicated explanation of a product with a few humorous anecdotes is the best way to tell someone about your product. At least it has worked in our retail hardware business for years.

People want honesty and to be able to trust you. If you have been in business for a few years, you may already have their trust. That is worth a ton. No amount of money can buy that.

RADIO SIGNAL OF STRENGTH

My experience with the power of radio began a few years back when I took a call at about 7:30 a.m., 30 minutes before we opened. A man on the other end of the line sounded distraught. He explained that he was on vacation with family and friends and locked out of his garage where all his water toys were stored. I told him that if he would drive into town, I could coach him through what he needed to do to get into the garage.

When he arrived, I told him what to do and sold him a few drill bits and rented him a drill and extension cord. We then picked out a new lock

“

EVEN IF IT’S SOMEWHAT CORNY, PEOPLE TEND TO LISTEN TO ADS THAT ARE TEACHING THEM SOMETHING ABOUT A PRODUCT THEY MAY NEED. ”

—Pat Kelly, owner of Kelly’s Chelan Hardware Co.

to fit the door, and I keyed it to the key he already had. About an hour and a half later, he showed up with a smile on his face and wanted to give me more money for the drill and the extension cord, and a tip on top. He said we saved his weekend and he was so grateful.

The next Monday night, my wife and I got home from a long weekend and found our answering machine blowing up with calls. As we listened to the messages, one after another friend from the Seattle area wanted to know how I had afforded an ad a halfhour long on a popular Seattle radio

On the cusp of joining the Century Club, the store has been owned by the Kelly family since 1958. Originally called Chelan Hardware Co., the store was founded by previous owners in 1925.

talk show. Evidently, the talk show host spent almost all of his Monday morning show talking about our store and went on to say that if you were in the Lake Chelan area and you didn’t go see Kelly’s Ace Hardware, you were missing the boat.

He brought up the story over the next few weeks and even years later I got reports from friends in Seattle. This is the power of positive, informative radio advertising.

TIPS FOR SHOW TIME

When I am on the radio, I talk in an understandable, clear and pronounced tone and try to bring up problems and answers. We all have problems, and the knowledge given to someone—who is not educated on that topic—in an understandable and compassionate way is priceless. You “listen” to someone like this.

Inserting a little humor is a helpful way to break the ice, but watch what you say. Normally, I use myself for the brunt of the joke. I’m Irish and I’m follicly challenged (balding), so the jokes usually revolve around those two things.

Talking in a normal voice and being yourself are usually the best ways to talk on the radio or television. People typically try too hard, and it shows.

You should be relaxed, which will come after a few tries. It is not for everyone, so if you don’t feel comfortable you should pick another person to do the ads.

FIND A RADIO PARTNER MATCH

Our radio station, Chelan Valley Media Group, better known as KOZI, has been in the valley for more than 60 years and covers about three counties. Our valley has a population base of 7,500 people in the off-season but grows to 25,000 in the late spring to fall. KOZI is a community radio station with a strong community spirit that has helped many people over the years during forest fires and winter storms when power outages occurred.

Our store has run ads on the KOZI morning talk show “Second Cup of Coffee” for more than 60 years. In all the advertising I do with them, the live interview ads bring the best, or at least the most trackable results, usually producing phone calls to our store before I get back from the radio station, which is only a few blocks away. Running informative, personal, somewhat humorous ads is the best advertising you can do. Take a minute to think about your particular area and what the challenges or needs are. Try to help your customers and friends and give them a reason to trust you and your retail establishment—it will come back to you tenfold. It will also make what you do for a living very rewarding, and to me, that is worth more than money. n

Patrick Kelly has been the owner of Kelly’s Chelan Hardware Co. in Chelan, Wash., for more than 50 years. In October, the store celebrated its 65th anniversary. Kelly was interviewed for the How’s Business section of the October 2023 issue of Hardware Connection.

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IN THE NEWS

DO IT BEST ALIGNS MARKETING, ECOMMERCE DIVISIONS

Do it Best has promoted Allison Flatjord to vice president of marketing and ecommerce, aligning these two divisions within the Fort Wayne, Ind.-based distributor. Flatjord is credited with launching Do it Best’s ecommerce platform, migrating hundreds of member-owner microsites, and growing ecommerce sales. In her new role, she will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of marketing while maintaining a focus on online sales and integrating digital strategies to enhance brand visibility and customer engagement.

Do it Best also promoted Corbin Prows to divisional manager of ecommerce platform operations, and Brianna Wells to divisional manager of ecommerce: marketing & merchandising. Prows moves into his role with more than 20 years of experience in ecommerce, marketing, tech development, and program management. Wells joined Do it Best in 2022 and was

NEW STORES

• Westlake Ace Hardware will open a location in San Jose, Calif., with a soft opening scheduled for the third quarter 2024.

soon promoted to ecommerce marketing & content manager, where she merchandised, sourced, and maintained product content for the company’s new ecommerce platform. Since her involvement, the availability of highquality content has increased from 150,000 visible products to 1.62 million.

“These organizational enhancements are driven by a single objective,” said Flatjord. “We’re committed to maintaining the momentum of ecommerce, with a primary focus on prioritizing our members’ online sales. By creating a holistic shopping experience, we can increase foot traffic to our members’ stores and ultimately boost sales.”

KUDOS TO

• Lou and Jackie Schlaefer, owners of Prescriptions Plus True Value Hardware in O’Fallon,

• Malone Home Center in Greenville, Ky., has been acquired by Nation’s Best. Read the interview with Nation’s Best CEO Chris Miller on page 60.

Allison Flatjord

Corbin Prows

Brianna Wells

Ill., were honored by the Lebanon Lions Club for community service.

• Nashville, Tenn.-based Walker Lumber & Supply celebrates its 75th anniversary this year.

• Smith Lumber Company in Valley City, N.D., turns 100, joining the Century Club.

Do it Best announced several new hires and promotions, including:

• Christina Bechtoldt as a forest products trader.

• Alla Vovnenko as an ecommerce B2B specialist.

• Melissa Kizer as an ecommerce program specialist.

• Becca Bell joins Ferguson Advertising as a copywriter and brand strategist.

• Brian Reznick Sr. named director of sales for Mayhew Tools.

• Cory Barnett is the new president of Sun Mountain Custom Doors, part of Colorado-based wholesaler Kodiak Building Partners.

WHOLESALER NEWS

• Ace Hardware acquired Boston Unique Indoor Comfort, a Bostonarea HVAC services company.

• True Value welcomed retailers to its Spring Reunion in New Orleans February 2-4. CEO Chris Kempa said during the opening session that the distributor will be investing $20 million in warehouse order management upgrades.

Stanley Black & Decker announces new line of products via the Las Vegas Sphere.

IN OTHER NEWS

• Stanley Black & Decker made a big splash in January as it celebrated the launch of the DEWALT POWERSHIFT™ System with a display on the Sphere in Las Vegas.

• Simpson Strong-Tie announced the opening of applications for its Undergraduate Fellowship. Up to 120 scholarships of $3,000 per recipient are awarded every academic year to university students from more than 120 participating schools. For more information, visit strongtie.com/ scholarships.

• Tando division, a Quebec City, Quebec, manufacturer, is renamed Tando Composites.

• Lowe’s is launching its Style Studio, which will use augmented reality from Apple Vision Pro to design

So we recruited d-i-yers to solicit their feedback.

Each used FrogTape on multiple surfaces windows, baseboards and corners, and everyone was amazed by the clean lines usually only possible with pros. No one had any instance of paint bleed or difficulty removing the tape even after it stayed in place for over a week. If you currently do not stock FrogTape, then bring in a few SKUs of their Pro Grade Painter’s Tape and Pro Grade Orange Painter’s Tape, which offers highadhesion. ■

kitchens. The new technology enables customers to view appliances, fixtures and building materials as they would appear in a new kitchen or renovation.

IN MEMORY

• Donald Jelinek, who served on the Ace Hardware’s national board of directors from 1976–1981, died in January.

• Robert “Bob” Bennett, Campbellford, Ontario, who served as a director on the Canadian Retail Hardware Association board, died in February.

• Alberta Medovic, co-owner of a True Value Hardware store in Wheeling, W.Va., passed away in January.

record attendance at January market. Click here. n

Brunswick Ace Hardware in Brunswick, Md.

UPCOMING EVENTS

FEBRUARY

Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo

February 13-15, Music City Center, Nashville, Tenn.

Horizon Distribution, Inc. Online Spring Blitz Roadshow

February 19-April 5

International Builders’ Show

February 27-29, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas

LBM Advantage 2024 Annual Buying Show

February 20-22, Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, Fla.

Monroe Hardware Spring Market

February 16-18, Myrtle Beach Convention Center, Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Orgill Spring Dealer Market

February 22-24, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla.

Orgill Spring Online Buying Event

February 19-March 3

United Hardware Spring Buying Market

February 14-16, River’s Edge Convention Center, St. Cloud, Minn.

MARCH

Ace Hardware Spring Convention

March 12-14, Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas

Blish-Mize Spring Dealer Market

March 21-23, Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, Kan.

Do it Best Spring Market

March 23-25, George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston

Emery Jensen Edge

March 12-13, Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas

International Hardware Fair / Eisenwarenmesse

March 3-6, Kolnmesse, Cologne, Germany

LMC 2024 Annual

March 5-7, George R. Brown Convention Center, Houston

National Hardware Show

March 26-28, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas

The Inspired Home Show

March 17-19, McCormick Place, Chicago

Wallace Hardware Spring Dealer Market

March 26-28, Sevierville Convention Center, Sevierville, Tenn.

MAY

Orgill Summer 2024 Online Buying Event

May 20-June 2

JUNE

House-Hasson Summer Dealer Market 2024

June 13-15, Sevierville Events Center, Sevierville, Tenn.

spoga + gafa garden trade fair 2024

June 16-18, Messepl. 1, Köln, Germany

AUGUST

Ace Hardware Fall Convention

August 8-10, McCormick Place, Chicago

Independent Home Improvement Conference

August 27-29, JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, Marco Island, Fla.

Orgill Fall 2024 Online Buying Event

August 5-18

CATEGORY REPORT

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DIYERS ARE STILL PICKING UP THE PAINT BRUSHES AND ROLLERS. OF INTERIOR PAINT PROJECTS, 79 PERCENT WERE DOIT-YOURSELF VERSUS 21 PERCENT PRO CONTRACTOR PAINTERS, ACCORDING TO RECENT RESEARCH FROM THE HOME IMPROVEMENT RESEARCH INSTITUTE.

PAINT & DECOR MERCHANDISING

Upper Left: Ziegler’s Ace, Lake in the Hills, Ill.

Middle Left: Great Lakes Ace, Zionsville, Ind.

Lower Left: Barnes Lumber Co., Harrisburg, Ill.

Upper Right: Hupp Hardware, Wichita, Kan.

Lower Right: McKay’s True Value, Chandler, Ariz. 79%

GRAYS GIVE WAY TO BLUER, PEACHIER PALETTE

Driven by minimalist millennials, grays have inundated the market and home interior and exterior paint jobs. Prized for versatility, grays have become the standard. Now the pendulum is shifting away into some varied blues and a few other bolder statement colors, according to a trendwatcher from the National Association of Realtors.

Major paint manufacturers released their 2024 colors of the year recently with comforting tones of blue and some peach among the palettes. Behr struck a darker note with its Cracked Pepper. Also, this year, James Hardie shared a color of the year, a dark green the siding manufacturer is calling Mountain Sage.

2024 COLORS OF THE YEAR

Behr Cracked Pepper PPU18-01

Benjamin Moore Blue Nova 825

Above: At Debsan The Decorating Store in Natick, Mass., customer can rent any Benjamin Moore color for $4. This innovative idea allows customers to take a quart home, test it on a wall, then return the quart in one week. This allows customers to see how the paint will look in the lighting of their homes and next to their décor. Debsan has been renting quarts of paint since 1995 and has amassed more than 6,000 colors. What’s even better: The paint comes in easy-to-open screwtop lids, so there’s less chance of mess.

Dunn-Edwards Skipping Stones DET567

Dulux Sweet Embrace

James Hardie Mountain Sage

Pantone Peach Fuzz 13-1023

PPG Limitless (PPG1091-3)

Sherwin-Williams Upward 6239

Valspar Renew Blue 8003-37D

Morganfield Home Center, Morganfield, Ky.

SPECIAL EVENTS THAT DRAW CUSTOMERS

This month, Hardware Connection shares a pictorial peek at home improvement and hardware store special events, where retailers connect with their communities, fundraise for charities and offer how-to classes. Send photos of your special event, holiday decorations, store pets or unique store decor to doug@ thehardwareconnection.com.

Farm Supply & Ace Hardware, Fredonia, Ky.

Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware Supply, Richmond, Mo.

Farm & Home Hardware, Wellington, Ohio

Jerry’s Home Improvement Center, Eugene, Ore.

Ambridge Do it Best Home Center, Ambridge, Pa.

Merrilees Hardware & Supply, Cleves, Ohio

Tum-A-Lum Lumber, Pendleton, Ore.

Table Rock True Value, Kimberling City, Mo.

ARTFULLY STAGED SALE TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY

Artists near Morris Hardware in McConnelsville, Ohio, rely on the store for paint, brushes and other art supplies. With that connection to the local art community in place, the store saw an opportunity to deepen those ties.

Founded in 1845, Morris Hardware is a Century Club retailer that boasts six generations of family ownership and is the longest-running family owned and operated business in Ohio. Supporting the community it has served for so long, the store often hosts events in

On Main Street in McConnelsville, Ohio, Morris Hardware has been a longtime stop for local artists for paint and other art supplies.

conjunction with the Morgan County Community of the Arts.

The Arts in the Alley event showcased 200 paintings displayed in the alley between the hardware store and the Morgan County Historical Society. Artists of all ages contributed to these outdoor art gallery paintings, which lined the brick alley walls and were hung in a nearby garden.

“ THE ARTS IN THE ALLEY EVENT SHOWCASED 200 PAINTINGS DISPLAYED IN THE ALLEY BETWEEN THE HARDWARE STORE AND THE MORGAN COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY. ”

Visitors could buy paintings from the Morris Hardware sales counter and proceeds were split between the artists and Morgan County Community of the Arts, a non-profit organization committed to providing county residents with the ability to experience the arts.

In addition to the painting sale and as part of the promotion, Morris Hardware offered a 20 percent off storewide tote sale. The kickoff to the Arts in the Alley featured a live band and refreshments. n

Upper: The kickoff event to Arts in the Alley featured a live band and refreshments as visitors strolled down the alley between Morris Hardware and the Morgan County Historical Society.

Lower: Morris Hardware rung up sales from paintings, and proceeds from art sales were split between the artists and Morgan County Community of the Arts non-profit organization.

BEHIND THE NUMBERS

37%

In 2023, 37 percent of homeowners opted to hire a professional for all or part of a project, which represents a slight increase from the previous two years. Such demand still meant contractors were busy and had wait lists, according to the Home Improvement Research Institute.

$6,352

The average professionally done home improvement project costs $6,352, according to the recent American Housing Survey. The average do-it-yourself home improvement project costs $2,502.

43%

Because of the continued high demand for their services and to increase efficiency, 43 percent of contractors

reported using more time-saving products to speed project completion time, according to the Home Improvement Research Institute.

33%

Of homeowners who hired a pro contractor for a job, one-third did not consider doing the project themselves. Also, five in 12 homeowners who ultimately hired a pro did a portion of the project first, according to the Home Improvement Research Institute.

33%

Making sure your DIYer customer has the right tool for the job is essential. About one-third of do-ityourselfers used the wrong tool for their projects, according to statistics from Angi.

55%

Gen X and millennials account for the largest demographic of renovators at 55 percent, according to a recent poll from Today’s Homeowner. n