October 14, 2026 Vol. 18, No. 19
THE INDUSTRY’S DIGITAL LEADER
NO MONEY? NO PROBLEM!
HOW TO FUND YOUR NEXT DEAL ALSO INSIDE Hot Products From the Fall Market Regional Business Reports LBM Distributor News and More!
Q&A Thought Leadership: Rundoo CEO Nick Hershey
October 14, 2026 Vol. 18, No. 19
THE INDUSTRY’S DIGITAL LEADER
NO MONEY? NO PROBLEM!
HOW TO FUND YOUR NEXT DEAL ALSO INSIDE Hot Products From the Fall Market Regional Business Reports LBM Distributor News and More!
Q&A Thought Leadership: Rundoo CEO Nick Hershey
2 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 14, 2026
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CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORY #3
A STORY ABOUT CONTINUING A LEGACY Whenever I’m asked what makes Morris Hardware special, I start with our story. Founded in 1845 by George Morris, our business has been part of the McConnelsville community for 180 years and remains one of the oldest continuously operating, family-owned hardware stores in the country. Today, his great-great-great-greatgreat-great-grandson, Tom Schanken, and I are honored to carry that legacy forward. This business has weathered wars, depressions, pandemics, and the rise of big-box and online competition. Through it all, our small-town spirit and commitment to serving our employees, customers, and community have held strong. Our customers are our neighbors—contractors, farmers, and DIYers—and we take pride in being the heart of Main Street. But even a 180-year-old business must evolve. When we realized our previous supplier wasn’t helping us stay current, we looked for a partner who shared our values. That came in 2023 when we were introduced to Orgill. I first got to know Orgill through our sales rep, Jake Thompson, whose genuine kindness and willingness to help made a lasting impression. When it came time to make a change, the choice was clear. Orgill’s team worked alongside us during the conversion, helping modernize assortments, refresh key departments, and refine pricing—while respecting our independence. Today, Morris Hardware is better positioned to serve modern customers while proving that personal service and community connection never go out of style—and we’ve found those same values in our supply partner.
Shayna Roberts
Shayna Roberts Co-Owner, Morris Hardware | McConnelsville, Ohio
Helping Our Customers Be Successful Since 1847
Orgill.com/success | 800-347-2860 Ext. 5141 | customerservice@orgill.com
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HARDWARE Connection ■ October 14, 2026 ■ 3
INDEPENDENT DOESN’T MEAN ALONE.
Any sales rep can take your order. We’ll also help you increase sales. As your partner, we share strategies, offer support and give you the tools you need to succeed.
Put the strength of the co-op to work for you.
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26
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DEPARTMENTS
FEATURES
08
Shelf Life
18
10
Amazing but True Hardware Stories
11
How’s Business?
38
Upcoming Events
40
In the News
BY DOUG DONALDSON
ON THE COVER
Peter Wernick, owner of three Peter’s Hardware Center locations in southeast Florida, shares creative approaches to financing growth and making good deals work.
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CONTENTS
OCTOBER 14, 2026 | VOL. 18, NO. 19
Retailer2Retailer: Don’t Let Money Get in the Way of a Good Deal BY PETER WERNICK
Don’t let a lack of cash derail a good deal. Get creative with financing and find a way to make the opportunity work with this Florida retailer showing you the way.
26
10 Hot Product Finds This Fall BY BRENT GENTLING
From new approaches to hand tools and deck framing to material handling and outdoor power, these 10 Fall Market finds offer retailers fresh solutions to address customer needs.
32
Q&A Thought Leadership: From Data to Decisions
In this exclusive interview, Rundoo co-founder and CEO Nick Hershey shares how retailers can get more from their business data, streamline store operations and prepare for what’s coming next.
HARDWARE Connection ■ October 14, 2026 ■ 5
ADVERTISERS INDEX PUBLISHER / PRESIDENT
Scott Wright
swright@YourNHPA.org EDITOR / DIRECTOR OF CONTENT DEVELOPMENT
Lindsey Thompson
lthompson@YourNHPA.org EDITOR
Doug Donaldson
doug@thehardwareconnection.com 646-508-7904 NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER
Dan Beck
dbeck@thehardwareconnection.com 518-852-9624
Do it Best/True Value
doitbestonline.com | truevaluecompany.com. . . . . . . . . . 4
Midwest Fastener Corp.
fastenerconnection.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
NHPA RetailWise Training
YourNHPA.org/retailwise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Orgill
orgill.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 3
Sika
usa.sika.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Shurtape
shurtape.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
SENIOR DESIGNER
Autumn Ricketts
aricketts@YourNHPA.org CONTRIBUTORS
Brian Dawson Brent Gentling Peter Wernick
Hardware Connection is published 24 times a year by The North American Hardware and Paint Association. All editorial contents copyrighted 2026 by the publisher. No editorial may be reproduced without the prior permission of the publisher.
The North American Hardware and Paint Association 1025 East 54th St. Indianapolis, Indiana 317-275-9400 NHPA@YourNHPA.org YourNHPA.org
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Increase Your Team’s Productivity NHPA’s RetailWise Plus delivers training to boost selling skills, tighten store operations, improve safety and more. The library of 365+ two-minute lessons are built for independent hardware, paint and lumber retailers to fit your schedule. No long classes, no complicated schedules. Increase your productivity, one lesson at a time. Subscribe Today! Scan the QR Code to sign up for RetailWise Plus or visit YourNHPA.org/retailwise.
6 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 14, 2026
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SHELF LIFE
FIND A WAY FORWARD By Doug Donaldson
I
ndependent hardware retailers rarely have the luxury of unlimited resources. There’s always a constraint somewhere—money, time, people, space, technology or expertise. Yet some of the most interesting (and high-performing) businesses in this industry seem particularly good at looking at those constraints and asking the same question: How can we find a way? That doesn’t mean every obstacle needs to be eliminated or every difficult decision avoided. Sometimes change is necessary. But the strongest decisions tend to come from looking beyond the immediate problem, understanding what might be lost as well as gained and listening to the people who know the situation best. Finding a way forward requires knowing what’s worth carrying forward with you. Peter Wernick has spent much of his career doing exactly that. In this issue’s Retailer2Retailer, the owner of three Peter’s Hardware Center
locations in southeast Florida shares a philosophy he learned long before entering the hardware business: Don’t let money get in the way of a good deal. That doesn’t mean ignoring the numbers. Wernick’s stories—from financing a water-vending business to buying his first hardware inventory at auction and later structuring the purchase of his building—show the opposite. He evaluates the opportunity, figures out what he can support and looks for terms that can make it work. And if the deal puts him over his skis, he walks away. Technology presents retailers with a different set of constraints, particularly time. In our Q&A: Thought Leadership article with Rundoo co-founder and CEO Nick Hershey, he talks about independent retailers possessing decades of business data without always having the ability to analyze it effectively. Artificial intelligence is changing that equation, he says, allowing retailers
8 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 14, 2026
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selections range from redesigned hand tools and deck framing to material-handling equipment and outdoor power accessories. Different products, same instinct: There has to be a better way to do this. That may be one of the enduring advantages of independent hardware retailers. Resources will always have limits. Circumstances will change. New problems will replace old ones. The answer starts with being willing to look at what’s in front of you, understand what matters and find a way forward.
to ask questions of their data and increasingly use the answers to take action. Hershey’s most interesting point may be where he thinks all this is headed. As technology takes on more of the work surrounding staffing, pricing, inventory and perhaps eventually physical tasks in the store, he believes something distinctly human will retain its value: service. Then there are the products. BYOTools creator Brent Gentling walked the Do it Best Fall Market looking for products that solve familiar problems differently. His
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pend enough time working in a paint store and eventually you’ll see somebody take a project further than expected. One customer decided to repaint his truck. Instead of making repeated trips to the store as the job progressed, he came up with a more efficient plan.
He painted the truck right there in our parking lot. That way, whenever he needed more paint, he could simply walk back inside and buy it. It was a whole new take on curbside pickup: pick up the paint, then apply it at the curb. Ian Yorks Noble Landon Inc. Cobleskill, New York
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How’s
Business?
Door County Hardware in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, is one of four locations operated by the company, which is considering expansion in 2027.
CENTRAL
How are sales and customer counts in 2026? Sales have been steady. We’re not comparing ourselves to every year, but we’ve had slow and steady growth, and we’re healthy. Tourism is a huge part of our business, and that’s cyclical, so it’s winding down now. We’re also seeing housing projects and apartment construction in the area. TheHardwareConnection.com
What’s unique about your business? It’s always the people. One great thing about being our own store is we can really focus on customer service. When we look at our peer groups, we’re one of the leaders in that area. We try to lead by example. The owner and I are both out on the floor with our employees and customers. Best niches? Grilling is one of our fortes, and we have a big gift
HARDWARE Connection ■ October 14, 2026 ■ 11
HOW’S BUSINESS?
Store leadership at Door County Hardware stays active on the salesfloor alongside employees, an approach manager Jason Bartel (left) says helps set the standard for customer service.
area. Those are probably two of our leading categories, along with our staple hardware items. Because of our location, we don’t have big-box stores or supply houses around us. We’re a big fish in a small pond. Any surprise bestsellers? We brought in pavers, concrete products and cinder blocks, and they became big sellers. That surprised us a little bit. What are your plans for 2027? We’ve grown pretty fast over the last four years, and we’re always on the
lookout for another location. We’re at four stores now and would eventually like to be at five or six. For the rest of 2026, we want to get some areas in order, and then in 2027 we’ll look at expanding. At the same time, we need to review some of our business-to-business operations and tighten up the HR side of things to make sure our employees are taken care of. Jason Bartel Door County Hardware Co. Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin
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EAST
How are sales and customer counts in 2026? Fairly flat. We’re keeping our head above water and doing all right. Everyone knows it’s been a tricky period for a lot of sellers. People aren’t plunging into big-ticket purchases right now. We’ve been up a month here or there and flat for a lot of them. It’s pretty much business as usual in small-town Maine. We’re fortunate to be about 45 minutes from any big-box store. That gives us the opportunity to provide that community hardware store experience for a good swath of folks. There are other independents near us, but we’re not having to butt heads with the big boxes, so that’s really favorable. What’s unique about your business? Our store fits really well into the community and serves both contractors and DIYers. Our demographic is unique: Our county is the oldest county in Maine, which is the oldest state in the country. We have everything from affluent people with summer homes to younger people struggling to make ends meet, so there’s a
TheHardwareConnection.com
Justine Roths of Damariscotta Hardware in Damariscotta, Maine, says the store’s broad product selection and hands-on customer service help it serve a diverse mix of contractors, DIYers and summer residents.
HARDWARE Connection ■ October 14, 2026 ■ 13
HOW’S BUSINESS?
Damariscotta Hardware benefits from its small-town Maine location about 45 minutes from the nearest big-box store, enabling it to draw customers from a broad surrounding area.
broad range of economic conditions. We also have older customers who want a lot of hand-holding with projects and technology, so we provide some really intense customer service. Best niches? Having a little bit of everything and then some. Customers always say, “Man, you have so much stuff, and the service was amazing. I love you guys.” We have a lot of summer residents who tell us, “We don’t have this at home.” We have plumbing, fasteners, housewares and three greenhouses with a great summer
greenhouse program. More than any particular category, it’s having what customers want and having the know-how to get them what they need. Any recent surprise bestsellers? Wind spinners have done really well for us. We have them close to the front on their own endcap, and they’re in motion. Customers can’t help but stand there mesmerized for 30 seconds on the way by. They’ve been a nice addition to the front end of the store. What are your plans for 2027? The big thing will be the new store that’s still
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in the works. At the Damariscotta store, we’ll be refreshing some things, including a plumbing reset. We’ve put a few major projects behind us in the recent past. We reset the store to all Diablo power-tool accessories and sandpaper, so we have a huge Diablo presence now. That’s been phenomenal for both contractors and DIYers. Nothing major is coming down the pike right now. Justine Roths Damariscotta Hardware Damariscotta, Maine
SOUTH
How are sales and customer counts in 2026? We’re relatively new, so we’re seeing growth. We’re up year over year for the last three years that we’ve been doing hardware, so that’s good news. We’re seeing growth, but we could be seeing more. That’s just the general market. Robins Air Force Base accounts for 60% of the economy of [Warner Robins, Georgia], so we’re relatively protected from overall market strains. Right outside our market, when you get into more agricultural towns, they’re obviously feeling the strain from the cost of fuel and fertilizer. What’s unique about your business? We’re outdoor equipment first, and then got into hardware. TheHardwareConnection.com
With Robins Air Force Base providing stability to the economy of Warner Robins, Georgia, John Boyett has seen three consecutive years of growth at Powerhouse True Value Rental.
HARDWARE Connection ■ October 14, 2026 ■ 15
HOW’S BUSINESS?
Rental equipment parked outside Powerhouse True Value Rental reflects the company’s roots, which have helped shape its expansion into hardware and create add-on sales opportunities in towing accessories and other categories.
A lot of our focus is on outdoor power, lawn-and-garden and automotive. We were able to jump into hardware with that specialty because the same things that work in automotive work in general equipment service. That’s the niche we’ve worked out for ourselves. Best niches? Outdoor power, and we’re big in Milwaukee power tools. We’ve also become the largest hardware supplier in the area. Any surprise bestsellers recently? It’s not that surprising, because we do a lot of equipment rental, but we sell a lot
of towing accessories—hitches, straps and things like that. A lot of people come to pick up rental equipment and don’t actually have that stuff, and we have it for sale right there. What are your plans for 2027? We’re playing it very conservatively. We’re trying to push our way through 2026 and see what the new year brings. Then we’ll make a game plan in January for how to attack the year. John Boyett Powerhouse True Value Rental Warner Robins, Georgia
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Founded in 1967, Salem Lumber Co. is planning a major store reset for 2027 that will add fixtures and expand its hardware offerings.
WEST
How have sales and customer counts in 2026 been? Great. We’re basically a lumberyard that has some hardware, and we’re expanding that. We had a hardware store in town that closed a couple years ago, so this is all new to us. But we’ve seen it grow by leaps and bounds. Hardware is pretty close to double, especially the outside traffic that doesn’t involve our contractors. We’re in a town of 1,200 people. What’s unique about your company? Our customer service and being a one-stop shop for building. You can come there and build a house, fix your faucet or rewire an outlet.
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Best niches? Service after the sale and knowing we’ll take care of you. We’re a family-owned business and have been around since 1967. Any recent surprise bestsellers? A lot of plumbing, especially toilet repair— Oatey toilet repair products have done really well. We order them every week. We get a lot of do-it-yourselfers buying them. What are your plans for 2027? We’re going to revamp the store big-time. We’re not adding square footage through new construction—it’s about using the space we have, adding more fixtures and doing a total store reset. We’re working with Do it Best on the design. Mark Doane Salem Lumber Co. Salem, South Dakota
HARDWARE Connection ■ October 14, 2026 ■ 17
COVER STORY: RETAILER2RETAILER
DON’T LET
MONEY RUIN A
GOOD DEAL By Peter Wernick
THE OWNER OF PETER’S HARDWARE CENTER, WHICH INCLUDES THREE SOUTHEAST FLORIDA LOCATIONS, HAS BUILT A CAREER FINDING CREATIVE WAYS TO FINANCE THE NEXT OPPORTUNITY.
A Peter Wernick has built Peter’s Hardware Center around a lesson learned long before he entered the hardware business: When the opportunity makes sense, figure out how to make the numbers work. That philosophy has helped him turn creative financing into growth across three southeast Florida locations.
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lot of what I’ve learned about business goes back to my Uncle Howie, my mentor. His family had a knitting company that went back more than 100 years, and he grew it into a very successful operation. He taught me to look for recurring revenue and recognize opportunity when others were looking in the opposite direction.
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Retired Orgill Sales Rep, Don Spence, left, presents Peter Wernick with the Pinnacle Award, recognizing Peter’s Hardware Center for reaching $1 million in purchases from Orgill in a calendar year. TheHardwareConnection.com HARDWARE Connection ■ October 14, 2026 ■ 19
RETAILER2RETAILER From left, Peter Wernick, owner of Peter’s Hardware Center, joins Hillman representatives Tom Ray, East Coast regional director; Kevin Frederking, territory manager; and Ray Kane, district sales representative, in the store’s fastener department, which is stocked with Hillman products.
Somewhere along the way, I developed my own rule: Don’t let the money get in the way of a good deal. That means when you see a genuine opportunity, don’t immediately decide you can’t do it because you don’t have the money. Put the deal together, then figure out whether there’s a responsible way to finance it. I learned that before I got into hardware. I was in the water treatment business in New Mexico when an opportunity led me to pitch Albertsons, the grocery giant, on placing water-vending machines outside its stores. They liked the idea and offered me 200 locations. They asked whether I had the resources to handle it. Of course, I said yes.
I did not. The deal required hundreds of thousands of dollars in equipment, vehicles and infrastructure. But I had a contract and knew the business, so I took the deal to my local bank. My banker believed in it and agreed to finance me. Then the treasurer asked what would happen if the business failed and I couldn’t repay the loan. I gave her an answer that had my banker kicking me under the table. Basically, I told her I didn’t know. If you fail, you work out the best deal you can, fix it to the best of your ability and move on. Apparently, that was not the preferred banking answer.
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I assured her I intended to succeed and would do everything in my power to make the payments. They made the loan, the business became immensely successful and five years later I sold the operation to a competitor and paid off the bank. That lesson stayed with me when the next opportunity came along, this time in the hardware business.
to lose money. Businesses around my town of Palm City, Florida, were shuttering. The hardware store closed. The paint store closed. For about two years, every Sunday when I needed something for a project around the house, I had to drive over the bridge to the larger town of Stuart to get it. Finally, I told my wife, Angela: “Palm City needs a hardware store.” How I Opened a She said, “I’m sure somebody will “$5,000” Hardware Store open one.” In 2008 and 2009, everything came to “No, I think we should open one.” a screaming halt. My water treatment, “What do you know about plumbing, irrigation and well-drilling hardware?” business had been doing fantastic, Absolutely nothing. But I knew but it slowed dramatically and began there was a need.
TheHardwareConnection.com
HARDWARE Connection ■ October 14, 2026 ■ 21
RETAILER2RETAILER
Her next question was better: We were already putting money into our existing business to keep it running, so where were we going to get the capital to open another one? I didn’t know. The former hardware store in town had been abandoned with merchandise, fixtures, shelving, a paint tinter and everything else still inside. The property owner wanted the space emptied, and the contents went up for bid. I offered $5,000. Other bidders might have wanted the merchandise. My offer included
taking everything and returning the location to four empty walls. That solved the property owner’s problem. A couple of days later, I got the email: Congratulations, you got the bid. My wife’s reaction was basically, “Oh, my God. What are we going to do?” We were going to open a hardware store. The purchase was $5,000. But then it cost me about $5,000 to pack everything, another $5,000 to move it, another $5,000 to unpack it and another $5,000 to set it up.
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I did it in blocks of time while I continued operating my other business and generating cash flow. Vendors and suppliers were willing to work with us. Orgill saw the vision, gave me a line of credit, invited me to their market and gave me terms that helped us fill the store. Peter’s Hardware Center opened in September 2010. We started slowly, and we kept growing. Set the Price. Negotiate the Terms. By 2013, the community was telling us something else: Palm City needed a paint store. Space next to us became available, and I thought it made perfect sense to expand the hardware store and add paint. Once again, my wife asked the obvious question: “What do you know about paint?” Once again, my answer was: basically nothing. But I knew there was demand. The landlord offered to lease me the additional space. I looked at the money I was about to put into improving somebody else’s property and asked him a different question: Why don’t you sell me the building? He agreed. I went home and told my wife, “We’re buying the building.”
TheHardwareConnection.com
Peter and Angela Wernick get into the holiday spirit at a community event. For Peter, building Peter’s Hardware Center has meant investing in more than inventory and square footage—it has also meant building a business with deep roots in the communities its three stores serve.
HARDWARE Connection ■ October 14, 2026 ■ 23
RETAILER2RETAILER “With what money?” “I don’t know yet.” Banks weren’t interested. We were a relatively new hardware store planning an unproven expansion during a difficult lending environment. So I went back to the landlord. He set the price. I set the terms. He owned the building free and clear, which gave us flexibility. We negotiated seller financing. I was supposed to put $50,000 down, but I didn’t have $50,000. He agreed to let me make the down payment in $10,000 blocks. I even took a $10,000 cash advance on a credit card to make the initial payment and get the papers signed. Over time, I kept making the payments. When interest rates changed, we renegotiated. Eventually, I paid him off. Today, I own the building free and clear. That’s what I mean when I say don’t let the money get in the way of a good deal. This sensibility isn’t about pretending money doesn’t matter. You have to know what you’re buying. You have to understand the opportunity. You have to be willing to walk away when the numbers become too much. But sometimes we start with the money question when we should start with the opportunity question.
If there’s a good deal in front of you, figure out what it’ll take to make it work. Talk to the seller. Talk to the vendors. Talk to your distributor. Talk to the bank. Look at the assets. Look at the terms. Find out what the other person needs from the deal. And if somebody agrees to work with you, execute. If you shake hands and say you’re going to come up with the money, come up with the money. If you say you’re going to make the payments, make the payments. Your reputation and your credit become tools you can use the next time an opportunity comes along. I’ve spent my career looking at opportunities that I couldn’t necessarily afford when I first saw them. The question I ask is: Is it a good deal? If the answer is yes, I start figuring out how to get it done. n Peter Wernick is the owner of Peter’s Hardware Center in Palm City, Florida, which he opened in 2010 after a career in plumbing and water treatment. His wife has repeatedly responded to his expansion plans with some variation of “with what money?”—a question Wernick has spent much of his career finding creative ways to answer.
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7
WAYS TO MAKE THE NUMBERS WORK
Creative financing can open opportunities that conventional financing might not, but flexibility still requires discipline. Before pursuing your next opportunity, consider these tips for evaluating the deal, exploring your financing options and knowing when to walk away.
1. Investigate the seller before you negotiate. Learn as much as possible about the seller’s financial position. For real estate, determine whether there is an outstanding mortgage or other obligations tied to the property. For a business, find out whether loans or other parties have a financial interest. An asset owned free and clear can give a seller more latitude to negotiate financing or payment terms, while existing lenders may limit the options available.
whether the business can handle the obligation while continuing to fund inventory, payroll and everyday operations. Build room for circumstances that don’t follow the original projection. Peter Wernick’s rule is straightforward: If the deal gets “over your skis,” don’t agree to it.
2. Separate the price from the terms. The purchase price is one part of a deal. The down payment, interest rate, payment schedule and length of financing can determine whether that price is workable. Find out which elements matter most to the seller and identify where there may be room to negotiate. A seller may value steady income, a faster transaction or another benefit enough to accept terms that make the purchase more manageable for the buyer. 3. Look beyond conventional financing. A bank declining to finance a purchase does not necessarily mean the underlying opportunity is a poor one. Depending on the transaction, alternatives such as seller financing or a negotiated payment schedule may provide another path. You should still carefully evaluate unconventional financing, with appropriate legal, accounting and financial guidance, before signing an agreement. 4. Know how much the business can actually support. Gather enough financial information to determine TheHardwareConnection.com
5. Be willing to walk away. Creative financing should make a sound opportunity possible rather than make an unsound opportunity appear affordable. Establish the point at which the numbers stop working before becoming emotionally committed to the purchase. Walking away from one transaction also preserves capital and borrowing capacity for another opportunity. 6. Treat credit and reputation as business assets. Good credit can provide leverage when an opportunity appears, while strong relationships with lenders, vendors, distributors and other business partners can create options that might not otherwise exist. Build those relationships before you need financing, and protect them by meeting commitments consistently. 7. Once you make the deal, execute. Creative terms do not change the obligation to deliver. Put agreements in writing, track payment dates and financing milestones and understand when terms may need to be renegotiated. As Wernick puts it, once someone shakes your hand and agrees to work with you, “you’ve got to follow up and actually do what you say you’re going to do.”
HARDWARE Connection ■ October 14, 2026 ■ 25
FALL HOT PRODUCTS
10 HOT PRODUCT FINDS THIS FALL By Brent Gentling
BYOTOOLS’ CREATOR SHARES THE NEW ITEMS AND PRACTICAL INNOVATIONS THAT STAND OUT FOR THEIR POTENTIAL WITH PROS AND DIYERS ALIKE.
W
alking the floor and the outside Power Preview at September’s Do it Best and True Value Fall Market in Indianapolis means seeing a lot of products in a short time. I’m always looking for the ones that make me stop, whether they solve a familiar jobsite frustration, improve on a tool contractors already use or simply bring an interesting idea to the hardware aisle. From lighting and outdoor power equipment to deck framing and tools designed for kids, these 10 caught my attention.
HALO HLA SUPER ADJUSTABLE CANLESS LED GIMBALS
These fixtures combine directional lighting with canless installation, mounting directly to drywall or suspended ceilings without requiring recessed housing or an additional junction box. Flip-N-Klip locking springs stay upright during installation and removal before releasing to clamp the fixture in place. Available in 3-, 4- and 6-inch sizes, the gimbals tilt up to 90 degrees and rotate a full 360. Five field-selectable color temperatures range from 2700K to 5000K. The fixtures are also IC-rated, AIR-TITE, wet location listed and ENERGY STAR certified.
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HANDY FAMM TOOLS FOR KIDS
Handy Famm takes an interesting approach to the kids’ tool category with functional tools sized and designed for young hands rather than toy versions of adult tools. The assortment includes tape measures, hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, scissors and tool sets, with products available for children beginning at age 3 and individual items carrying their own age recommendations. Animal-inspired designs add personality while giving children an introduction to measuring, tightening and other basic skills. Handy Famm also positions the line as a way for families to work together on projects while encouraging STEM learning and confidence boosting.
SHAKESPEARE PUSH-N-LOAD 3-BLADE TRIMMER HEAD
When trimmer line meets thick grass and brush, Shakespeare’s Push-N-Load 3-Blade Trimmer Head provides a more aggressive cutting option. Its serrated blades are made of glass-filled nylon for durability and abrasion resistance. The head is compatible with most popular brands and models of gas and cordless trimmers, giving it broad replacement potential at retail. Shakespeare also designed the system for quick blade loading, offering customers a straightforward way to equip an existing trimmer for tougher cutting jobs.
TheHardwareConnection.com
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FALL HOT PRODUCTS PROWOOD TRUEFRAME JOIST
Designed to address some familiar challenges associated with pressure-treated deck framing, Prowood Trueframe joists are made from No. 1 grade Southern yellow pine. The joists are pressure-treated with MCA preservative, kiln-dried after treatment and factory-planed for more consistent dimensions. ProWood says this process helps lumber stay straighter longer while minimizing warping, shrinking and cracking compared to traditional pressure-treated joists. Removing excess moisture also reduces weight for easier handling.
TrueFrame is available in 2x8, 2x10 and 2x12 sizes and 12-, 14-, 16- and 20-foot lengths and carries ProWood’s lifetime limited warranty.
GROUND HOG HD99 HYDRAULIC EARTHDRILL
Ground Hog’s HD99 is a towable hydraulic earth drill designed for demanding jobs while isolating auger torque from the operator. Powered by a 9-hp engine, the HD99 accommodates Ground Hog augers up to 18 inches in diameter and provides variable-speed forward and reverse operation, which can help free a stuck auger. Three handlebar positions allow standard drilling or work close to walls and fences, while the drilling head pivots for uneven terrain. The 295-pound machine includes pneumatic highway-rated tires, an auger-locking 28 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 14, 2026
mechanism and a towbar with a 2-inch coupler for surface street and jobsite transport. TheHardwareConnection.com
SUPERHANDY MATERIAL LIFT STACKER & PALLET DOLLY
This dolly puts lifting and transport capabilities into a relatively compact material-handling package. It has a maximum load capacity of 330 pounds and can raise materials as high as 40 inches. An 8-inch solid-wheel setup, swivel casters and locking wheels provide maneuverability and stability, while the removable steel platform allows the unit to accommodate different loads. Designed for warehouses and other material-handling applications, the lift could also appeal to shops,
contractors and other businesses looking for equipment to move and position heavier materials while reducing manual lifting.
GREENWORKS TELESCOPING POLE ACCESSORY
Giving users additional reach when using compatible pruning shears and saws, the pole adjusts from 4.2 feet to 6.5 feet and works with Greenworks LP1202 and LP1212 pruning shears and CS1032G and CS1522G pruning saws. Made from metal and plastic, the accessory is designed TheHardwareConnection.com
for straightforward installation and converts compatible handheld pruning tools into extended-reach options. For retailers carrying the corresponding Greenworks equipment, the pole also provides a logical attachment sale that expands the capabilities of tools customers may already own.
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FALL HOT PRODUCTS
WERA JOKER OPEN-END WRENCH
Wera rethinks several elements of the conventional open-end wrench with its Joker design. A metal plate in the jaw provides a holding function designed to keep nuts and bolts in place while they’re positioned and started on a thread. An integrated limit stop helps prevent the wrench from slipping downward off the fastener. The double-hex geometry reduces the return angle to 30 degrees, compared with 60 degrees for a conventional open-end wrench, making the Joker especially useful in confined spaces where movement is limited. It’s an interesting example of adding functionality to one of the most familiar tools in the kit.
DAP DYNAFLEX ULTIMATE PREMIUM ALL-WEATHER EXTERIOR SEALANT
Formulated for exterior weatherproofing applications around windows, doors, siding and trim, this sealant adheres to damp and wet surfaces and is designed to withstand rain, wind and temperature changes while maintaining flexibility as joints move. It bonds to a variety of common building materials—including wood, vinyl, metal, fiber cement, masonry and glass—and can also be used for interior applications. DAP says DYNAFLEX ULTIMATE is rain-ready and paintable with most latex and oil-based paints within 30 minutes to one hour, depending on the version. The low-odor formula cleans up with water.
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TUFF JUG UTILITY CONTAINER
Tuff Jug brings some interesting engineering to the utility-container category. Its Auto-Stop Spout uses an internal venting system and automatically stops flow when the receiving container reaches the spout, helping reduce spills and overfilling. Tuff Jug offers containers in 1.25-, 2.5- and 5-gallon capacities for transferring compatible liquids such as water, oils, coolants, cleaning solutions and other utility fluids. The containers are manufactured in Nampa, Idaho. An important distinction for retailers and customers: Tuff Jug classifies these products as utility containers rather than certified portable fuel containers and specifies that they should not be used for fuel or kerosene. n Brent Gentling is the creator of BYOTools, a DIY-focused YouTube and social media brand with millions of views known for tool reviews, how-to videos and hands-on construction insights.
TheHardwareConnection.com
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Q&A: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
TO
FROM DATA DECISIONS
Store visits give the Rundoo team a firsthand look at the workflows and day-to-day demands its technology is designed to address in independent specialty retail. From left, Rundoo’s Rebecca Zheng and Nick Hershey visit with Tony Rago and his brother, Chris Rago, at Mark’s Paint Mart in Oakland, California. 32 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 14, 2026
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RUNDOO CO-FOUNDER AND CEO NICK HERSHEY WEIGHS THE PRACTICAL USES OF AI, THE TECHNOLOGY RETAILERS SHOULD QUESTION AND HOW AUTOMATION COULD RESHAPE STORE OPERATIONS.
T
echnology companies often build products for the broadest possible market. Rundoo has taken a different route, focusing its point-of-sale platform on independent hardware, paint, lumber and other supply retailers and the particular demands of businesses serving both consumers and professional customers. Co-founded by CEO Nick Hershey and CTO Andrew Beckman, Rundoo has built its platform around the complexities of independent retail, including charge accounts, job accounts, special pricing and taxation, along with integrations connecting retailers with distributors, manufacturers and buying groups. Hershey brings an unusual background to that work. Before entering retail technology, he conducted applied AI research at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory. That experience gives
TheHardwareConnection.com
Rundoo co-founder and CEO Nick Hershey brings a background in artificial intelligence research to independent retail technology. Before launching Rundoo, Hershey conducted applied AI research at the Stanford Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.
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Q&A: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP him a perspective that reaches beyond point-of-sale technology at a time when artificial intelligence is rapidly moving into everyday business operations. In this exclusive interview, Hardware Connection spoke with Hershey about what Rundoo has learned from independent retailers, how store technology is evolving and where he believes the industry and related tech could be headed.
the critical role that distributors, manufacturers and buying co-operatives play. Rundoo has fully integrated or is in the process of integrating with dozens of distributors like Orgill and House-Hasson, manufacturers like Benjamin Moore and PPC and buying co-operatives like ALLPRO and Ace. Independent supply stores wouldn’t exist without these partners, and vice versa.
Hardware Connection: You’ve built Rundoo specifically around independent hardware and supply retailers rather than trying to create technology that serves the entire retail market. What have you learned about the independent channel that you didn’t understand when you started the company? Nick Hershey: The biggest difference I see between independent supply retailers and general retailers is that the former sells to both businesses and consumers. Because independent supply stores serve contractors, farmers, schools, and local governments, they must offer charge accounts, special taxation, discounted pricing, job accounts and more. I did, however, know this coming in, and it was a large reason for starting Rundoo! So to answer your question of something I didn’t fully appreciate:
When you look across the independent stores Rundoo now works with, what technology trends are gaining traction—and which much-discussed trends do you think are getting ahead of what retailers actually need? AI is the most astonishing. We launched Dooey as an AI agent that has read and write access to Rundoo in late 2025. Today, over 90% of our clients use Dooey weekly, and over 50% use Dooey daily. The frequency and variety was surprising enough that we rebranded Rundoo’s tagline to “The AI-First POS for Independent Supply Stores” and we encourage all of our clients to “Try AI First” for workflows in their business. On the flip side, we have seen declining usage of mobile computers in favor of simple Android devices. Mobile computers can cost thousands
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Brandon Berry, left, owner of Berry’s Hardware & Home Center in Dumas, Arkansas, reviews information on a computer with Hershey. Berry uses Rundoo’s AI tools to review daily store activity, including sales, new customers, returns and products sold below targeted margins.
of dollars and be clunky to use, whereas a cheap Android phone can be a few hundred dollars and be much more flexible. For independent hardware retailers, where is AI already producing measurable value, and where should retailers remain skeptical of the hype? We see a tremendous variety in ways AI is already producing measurable value. To help retailers learn, we teach the AAA framework. Each
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“A” represents a level, and we see retailers move down the path as their comfort grows. The first A is analyze. This is retailers asking questions of their data: how is each department doing compared to last year? Which hours should I change my staffing? Which customers would benefit from outreach? And so on. The second A is act. This is retailers having Dooey take action: update my costs based on this PDF a vendor sent
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Q&A: THOUGHT LEADERSHIP me, build an order based on these show discounts, and so on. The final A is automate. This is retailers running a Dooey prompt on some schedule without a human in the loop: every Thursday, generate a purchase order for this vendor, assign any customers created each day to a sales rep, every month compare my products to the local big box store and so on. As for skepticism, I caution clients on using AI to write individualized sales or marketing emails. Regulations have led AI models to have a pretty distinct voice, and many consumers have a knee jerk negative reaction to anything that feels AI-written. At a minimum, I recommend any language that goes out the door to be read by a human if it was written with AI. Independent retailers have access to more business data than they did even a few years ago, but having data and knowing what to do with it are very different things. Where do you see retailers leaving the most value on the table with the information they already have? The premise of your statement has been true since retailers started adopting point-of-sale systems in
the 80s, 90s and 2000s. That is, independent retailers have had more business data than they could reasonably analyze. This moment in time is magical because AI models immediately solve that problem. Whenever a client goes live on Rundoo, they have one default routine that Rundoo sets up: a daily summary. The prompt is essentially: “Based on everything that happened today, what are the three most important things for the owner to know?” We have seen this identify a whole bunch of ideas, and probably the most consistent ROI comes from identifying mis-priced products. Investing in technology can be expensive, disruptive and intimidating, especially for a retailer that has used the same system for years. What should an owner evaluate before making that decision, and what questions should they be asking a prospective technology provider that retailers frequently overlook? My biggest recommendation is to make a plan. Switching POS providers is a big deal. Before you sign a contract, map out the journey from today to the go-live day.
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Bold prediction time: Five years from now, what will technology allow an independent hardware retailer to do routinely that would seem remarkable—or perhaps unrealistic—to the average store owner today? Oh gosh, things are changing so rapidly in technology that I have no idea. I’ll take a stab, but don’t rely on it for anything. For independent supply stores, I view technology as a way to remove time spent on everything other than customer service.
The 2026 foundation models can remove a lot of the digital non-service work: decisions around staffing, pricing, inventory. Perhaps the 2031 models will remove a lot of the physical non-service work: receiving products, counting inventory, transferring between stores. I used to do AI research as part of the Stanford AI Lab, and a number of my former collaborators have shifted their focus to robotics. The thing that I hypothesize will remain is service. Good service didn’t lose its value with the internet, and I doubt it will lose its value with AI. n
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UPCOMING EVENTS
OCTOBER
PLMA Store Brands Marketplace/ Private Label Trade Show Nov. 15-17, Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, Chicago
Equip Exposition Oct. 20-23, Kentucky Exposition Center, Louisville, Kentucky
STAFDA 50th Annual Convention & Trade Show Nov. 15-17, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California
Hardlines Conference Oct. 20-21, Fairmont Château Laurier, Ottawa, Ontario
LMC Expo Oct. 28-30, Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia
NOVEMBER
Orgill Winter Online Buying Event 2026 Nov. 2-15 North American Wholesale Lumber Association Traders Market 2026 Nov. 4-6, Anaheim Convention Center, Anaheim, California DIY CON Nov. 6-8, Fair Park Dallas, Dallas
Deck Expo/International Pool Spa Patio Expo Nov. 17-19, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans
DECEMBER
2026 Irrigation Show & Education Week Dec. 7-10, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas LBM Expo 2026 Dec. 9-10, Earth Expo & Convention Center, Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Connecticut
LBM Advantage Fall Planning Northeastern Retail Lumber Conference Association Annual Meeting Nov. 9-11, Encore Boston Harbor, Boston Dec. 10, Earth Expo & Convention HDA Executive Planning Conference Center, Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, Nov. 10-12, The Westing La Paloma Connecticut Resort & Spa, Tucson, Arizona Automated Retail & Kiosk Innovation Show ISSA Show North America Dec. 14-16, Miami Beach Convention Nov. 16-19, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Miami Beach Center, Las Vegas 38 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ September 23, 2026
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JANUARY 2027
Lightovation: Dallas International Lighting Show Jan. 5-9, Dallas Market Center, Dallas National Retail Federation: Retail’s Big Show Jan. 10-12, Javits Center, Manhattan, New York World of Concrete Jan. 19-21, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas Mid-States Toy Extravaganza Jan. 25, Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix Mid-States Winter Rendezvous Jan. 27-28, Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix House-Hasson 2027 Winter Dealer Market Jan. 28-30, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Nashville, Tennessee
FEBRUARY 2027
The International Surface Event Feb. 1-4, Mandalay Bay Convention Center, Las Vegas
Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) Feb. 2-4, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas Shoppe Object New York Feb. 7-9, Starrett-Lehigh Building, Manhattan, New York Orgill Spring Dealer Market Feb. 25-27, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida
MARCH 2027
Do it Best & True Value Spring Market March 5-7, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Florida Building Envelope Contractors Conference March 7-9, Hilton San Diego Bayfront Hotel, San Diego ALLPRO Spring Buying Show March 10-13, J.W. Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa, Phoenix Ace Spring Convention March 14-16, Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta Blish-Mize Spring Buying Market March 18-20, Overland Park Convention Center, Overland Park, Kansas
International Builders’ Show Feb. 2-4, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas
For a complete listing of calendar dates, click here.
TheHardwareConnection.com
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IN THE NEWS
Trex products were prominently featured at the recent Do it Best and True Value Fall Market in Indianapolis following a new agreement that expands distribution of the company’s decking and outdoor living products to Do it Best members and True Value retailers.
BUILDING PRODUCTS MANUFACTURERS RESHAPE DISTRIBUTION NETWORKS A series of recent distribution agreements is changing how building products reach independent dealers, with manufacturers expanding geographic coverage, reworking distribution relationships and putting more of their product portfolios into the hands of selected distributors.
LP Building Solutions announced Sept. 29 a new distribution strategy for its LP SmartSide Trim & Siding portfolio, naming Specialty Building Products to provide nationwide coverage while working with 11 additional distributors. Participating distributors will carry
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TheHardwareConnection.com
the full SmartSide portfolio, including ExpertFinish and Naturals Collection products, with some existing LP distributors expanding their offerings and others joining the siding network for the first time. The LP announcement follows an expanded agreement between Westlake Royal Building Products and BlueLinx. Under the agreement, Westlake Royal will become BlueLinx’s sole and exclusive PVC trim supplier in key markets, with Kleer PVC Trim moving into 27 BlueLinx distribution locations. BlueLinx is also expanding distribution of Westlake Royal’s TruExterior Siding & Trim from 12 to 17 locations. Other manufacturers are broadening their reach through regional partnerships. Digger Specialties named Parksite to distribute its Westbury aluminum railing and columns in Illinois and southern Wisconsin, while DuxxBak Composite Decking selected Seven D Wholesale to distribute its decking products across 13 Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. BlueLinx also entered a new distribution relationship with Trex in September, adding Trex decking and railing products through 11 BlueLinx distribution centers serving markets across Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, West Virginia, Tennessee, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia. TheHardwareConnection.com
Ship Bottom Ace Hardware
NEW STORES, ACQUISITIONS
• Barnegat Ace Hardware opened its new location, Ship Bottom Ace Hardware in Ship Bottom, New Jersey, with a grand opening Oct. 2-4, marking the opening of the new Long Beach Island hardware store. • Fair Lawn, New Jersey-based Kuiken Brothers acquired Paramus Building Supply effective Oct. 2, adding its Paramus and Bergenfield, New Jersey, locations and bringing the lumber and building materials dealer to 11 locations across New Jersey and New York. • Geneva, New York-based HEP Sales and North Main Lumber acquired Belmont Hardware in Belmont, New York, Sept. 30, expanding the lumber and building materials dealer’s presence in western New York and the Southern Tier.
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IN THE NEWS • Wally’s Ace Hardware has broken ground on a new store in Rock Valley, Iowa. • Pague & Fegan Ace Hardware held a grand reopening Oct. 3 at its new South Fayette Street location in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania, after moving from its longtime downtown location, where the business operated for more than 100 years. • Lin’s Fresh Market and Ace Hardware opened new locations in Enoch, Utah, in September, with the 48,000-square-foot grocery store and adjacent hardware store.
KUDOS
• Kate’s Ace Hardware, a new 10,000-square-foot store owned by Rich and Katrina Mailloux in Daniels, West Virginia, will celebrate its grand opening Oct. 17. • Pullman’s Ace Hardware, owned by Jason Dyke, opened Sept. 29 in Pullman, Washington. • Union Market Ace Hardware in Washington, D.C.’s NoMa neighborhood held its grand opening Oct. 3, following the store’s opening in August.
• Ace Hardware executive vice president and chief growth officer John Surane has been named the 2026 Spirit of Life Award recipient by City of Hope’s National Hardware Homebuilding John Surane Industry fundraising group. • Local Ace Hardware in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, hosted former Sanford Children’s patients Sept. 26 for a fundraiser benefiting Children’s Miracle Network at Sanford Children’s in Fargo. • Decorah Ace Stores, a three-location operation in Decorah, Iowa, has been named the Decorah Area Chamber of
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Commerce’s 2026 Business of the Year following its latest downtown expansion. • Simpson Strong-Tie donated $20,000 to the American Red Cross and All Hands & Hearts to support relief and recovery efforts following flash floods that struck Nepal in August.
WHOLESALERS, MANUFACTURERS
• Orgill hosted members of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means for an Oct. 6 field hearing at its Innovation Center in Collierville, Tennessee, where Boyden Moore president and
CEO Boyden Moore discussed how recent tax legislation is affecting Orgill and the independent hardware stores, home centers, lumberyards and farm supply stores it serves. For the full story, see this article. • Following the Do it Best and True Value Fall Market in Indianapolis, Do it Best Group board chair David Sturdivant reflected on the integration of Do it Best, True Value and United Hardware and the opportunities greater scale can provide independent retailers and shared thoughts on distribution efficiency, technology and honoring retailers’ independence. Read the full story here.
Retailers gathered in Indianapolis for the Do it Best and True Value Fall Market, where the combined organization highlighted new opportunities, resources and efficiencies stemming from its growing scale.
TheHardwareConnection.com
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IN THE NEWS
• In other Do it Best Group news, the co-op expanded its LBM programs with new Trex incentives and assortments and a Central States metal roofing partnership, while also naming Paycor its first preferred payroll and people-management provider. For more, read the full article. 44 ■ HARDWARE Connection ■ October 14, 2026
• More than 14,500 attendees, including over 6,100 Ace retailers, attended the 2026 Ace Hardware Fall Convention in Orlando, where the focus was on growth through new products, training, technology and store expansion; for more, read the full article. TheHardwareConnection.com
• Builders FirstSource opened a 185,000-square-foot distribution and manufacturing facility in Bennett, Colorado, where more than 100 employees will serve homebuilders with lumber, building materials, roof and floor trusses and wall panels. • LP Building Solutions is expanding nationwide distribution of its LP SmartSide Trim & Siding portfolio through a new network of distributors committed to carrying the full product line, led by Specialty Building Products nationally and 11 additional distributors. • PrimeSource Brands has acquired Cranford, New Jerseybased JACLO Industries, a manufacturer and distributor of decorative bath fixtures and plumbing products, and will add the company to its Dimora Brands platform, which includes Branchburg, New Jersey-based decorative hardware manufacturer Top Knobs. • Tractor Supply opened an 865,000-square-foot distribution center in Nampa, Idaho, representing an investment of more than $200 million and designed to serve more than 200 stores. • Ace Hardware ranked No. 6 on the 2026 Franchise Times Top 400 list, remaining the highest-ranked
hardware brand as the retailer-owned cooperative reported $24 billion in 2025 retail sales. • FGI Industries expanded its North American distribution network with a new 54,000-square-foot distribution center in Houston, Texas. • United States Stove Company has joined World Marketing of America, combining the two heating-product companies under WMA, with US Stove’s existing brands remaining in the market.
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PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
• Do it Best Group vice president of lumber and building materials Russ Kathrein has been elected chair of the National Lumber and Building Material Russ Dealers Association’s Kathrein Manufacturers & Services Council, a role that also gives him a seat on the NLBMDA board of directors. Kathrein hosted the Do it Best Group LBM Update and for more read this article. • Channellock promoted Mark Yoder to director of product management after 23 years with the company, most recently as director of sales for Mark Yoder North America.
IN THE NEWS • ABC Supply named Larry Sullivan its next chief information officer, effective Jan. 1, 2027, succeeding Tony Vaden, who will retire after 13 years with the Larry Sullivan company. • Trex appointed Brian J. Taylor chief commercial officer, a newly created position overseeing the company’s commercial operations, bringing Brian J. more than 25 years of Taylor sales, marketing and commercial leadership experience to the role. • Grass America promoted Angelika Hofmann from chief operating officer to CEO, putting her in charge of the company’s overall strategy and Angelika operations, including Hofmann finance, production, IT, human resources, purchasing and commercial operations. • Central States announced the retirement of former CEO and chairman Jim Sliker from its
board of directors and elected lead independent director Christopher Harrison as board chairman, effective Oct. 1. • TRUFAST named Eric Flores roofing technical sales representative, bringing experience in roofing products, logistics, customer service and building Eric Flores materials distribution to the role.
IN MEMORIUM
• Richard Holmes Bragg Jr., 88, passed away Oct. 4 in Statesboro, Georgia. Bragg opened Folkston Ace Hardware in Folkston, Georgia, in 1976 and Richard later owned Kingsland Bragg Jr. Ace Hardware in Kingsland, Georgia, before retiring. • Nancy Jean Alix, 75, passed away Sept. 21 in Chateaugay, New York. Alix was an integral member of her family’s business, Alix’s True Value Hardware in Chateaugay, where she was known for her work ethic, generosity and relationships with customers.
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