S E E C O M P L E T E C OV E R AG E O F T H E H A R DWA R E C O N F E R E N C E
Sept/Oct 2021 Vol. 13, No. 6
THE INDUSTRY’S DIGITAL LEADER
Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware Supply
Honoring
Industry’s Top Retailers ALSO INSIDE:
Profiles of Beacon Award Winners Q&A With Ace Exec John Surane
Bomgaars
BUILDING ON OUR COMMITMENT TO
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Picked-to-order
CONTENTS Sept/Oct 2021 ■ Vol. 13, No. 6
34
59
5 QUESTIONS FOR ACE HARDWARE’S JOHN SURANE
BEACON AWARDS COVERAGE
Editor’s Note: Chris Jensen Trend Watch: Craig Cope Digby’s Hardware Cartoon: Scott Jensen Shop Talk: Hardware Products Review 2021 Hardware Conference Report Beacon Awards Coverage Beacon Award for Best New Store: Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware Beacon Award for Best New Store: Bomgaars Retail Beacon Winner: Ambridge Do it Best Home Center Retail Beacon Winner: Bartlett’s Lumber & Hardware 5 Questions for Ace Hardware’s John Surane Orgill Unveils New Distribution Center Category Report: Lawn & Garden An Inside Look: Halloween Costumes In the News Upcoming Events Behind the Numbers
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6 8 12 16 24 34 40 45 50 55 59 62 67 70 72 75 76
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ADVERTISERS’ INDEX A.O. Smith/Reliance Water Heaters | www.RelianceWaterHeaters.com . . . 21 DAP Products Inc. | www.dap.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Do it Best Corp. | www.doitbestonline.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7, 44 Duracell | www.duracell.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 ECi Software Solutions | www.ecisolutions.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Epicor Software Corp. | www.epicor.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14, 15 Ettore Products Company | www.ettore.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22, 23 Ganymede Technologies Corp./J3 Point-of-Sale | www.j3pos.biz . . . . . . . . 18 Kaba Ilco | www.ilco.us . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Oakfair Industrial Inc. | www.tradecraftus.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Orgill Inc. | www.orgill.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2, 3, 49 Police Security Flashlights | www.policesecurity.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Retail Automation | www.retailautomation.biz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Shurtape Technologies/FrogTape® | www.frogtape.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 STIHL USA | www.stihlusa.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Tear Mender / LHB Industries | www.tearmender.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
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91900 Overseas Highway | Tavernier, FL 33070 | www.TheHardwareConnection.com Publisher/Principal: Craig Cope craig@thehardwareconnection.com 804-690-0666 Editor/Founder/Principal: Chris Jensen chris@thehardwareconnection.com 317-514-8864 Marketing & Creative Director/Principal: Dan Akers dan@thehardwareconnection.com 317-797-6609 Founder/Principal: Tom Chasteen tom@thehardwareconnection.com 305-852-6126
www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Senior Business Advisor: John Hammond jhammond@thehardwareconnection.com National Account Manager: Dan Beck dbeck@thehardwareconnection.com 518-852-9624 Contributing Writers: Doug Donaldson, Gary Pittsford, John Fix III The Hardware Connection is published eight times a year by The Hardware Connection, Inc. All editorial contents copyrighted 2021 by the publisher. No editorial may be reproduced without the prior permission of the publisher.
THE HARDWARE Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 5
editor’s note
By Chris Jensen
Celebrating the Best Qualities of Independent Retailers
I
t seemed so strange, attending an industry event in person, but that’s what I did last month. The Hardware Conference in Marco Island, Fla., was the first event I had attended since February 2020, and I greatly enjoyed seeing old industry friends while meeting some new people. It was a similar experience for other attendees, who commented on how much they missed gathering in person with others. Human beings are social creatures and a big part of how we grow our knowledge is by spending time with groups of people. The Hardware Conference, now in its 33rd year, has always been the place “where relationships are formed,” as it’s the only industry event where retailers of all wholesaler types gather to share ideas and meet informally with vendors. I again had the opportunity to serve as master of ceremonies, along with John Hammond, of the Beacon Awards, which were started by The Hardware Connection nine years ago. This year we ended up honoring 14 top retailers, since we were also honoring the 2020 Beacon Award winners who could not be recognized because last year’s Conference was canceled due to the pandemic.
6 ■ The hARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
Eight Beacon winners from 2020 were recognized for going above and beyond to serve their communities during the pandemic. One of the most amazing stories I have encountered involved Beacon winners Toshua and Cassie Parker. The Parkers own ToshCo in tiny Gustavus, Alaska. When you live in one of the most remote areas of the country—with no roads in and out of town—and you have the only store selling grocery, hardware and lumber, then life gets pretty hectic during a pandemic. Everything the town residents need has to come in on a boat or a plane. Toshua made national news last year when it was revealed the incredible lengths he went to keep Gustavus supplied with food and other essential items when the supply ferry shut down. He simply began using his own supply boat and began making the arduous 14-hour boat trip each week to and from Juneau. Says Toshua, “For us it’s just another day taking care of our community and we certainly didn’t seek any accolades for doing it. It’s just part of the job.” Now that’s what I call an essential retailer! Turn to pages 34-58 to see videos and read more about our 2020 and 2021 Beacon winners. n www.ThehardwareConnection.com
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trend watch
By Craig Cope
It’s Hard to Replicate the Benefits of Face-to-Face Interaction
T
his year’s Hardware Conference is one I will remember for years to come. Hosting one of the first in-person trade shows was a true rollercoaster of emotions. In February 2021, I wrote “we were cautiously optimistic” to host the 33rd installment of the Conference. In May, I wrote that “U.S. restrictions are being eased or completely lifted and everyone seems excited to welcome summer.” Both pronouncements seem like a lifetime ago. As the Delta variant began impacting the U.S. and cases began to spike across the country, Shanti, my wife and co-host of the Hardware Conference, felt that eerie feeling of déjà vu all over again. When the pandemic began and state-wide lockdowns started in 2020, we instantly knew there would be no Hardware Conference that year. This year we made the decision to let our guests make the decision. If we saw large-scale cancellations, then we would cancel the in-person Conference and focus on our virtual platform. This proved to be the correct approach. This year’s Conference was one for the record books. It was the first time we sold out our room block at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort
8 ■ The hARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
and had to close registration two weeks in advance. In fact, we fielded more calls asking for assistance with room reservations as our block dwindled than any other request. Attendees were excited to get out of their stores, offices and homes to engage with other industry professionals in a beautiful 5-star beach resort. The term “Zoom fatigue” started making its rounds in May 2021, when Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan Chase, was quoted saying in CNBC, “I’m about to cancel all my Zoom meetings. I’m done with it.” He further explained that virtual sales calls had negatively impacted the bank’s business, because “bankers from the other guys visited, and ours didn’t. Well, that’s a lesson.” Virtual platforms are an excellent addition to an event, but they cannot replace in-person experiences with colleagues and friends. The phrase “breaking of bread” dates back to biblical times but remains relevant in the 21st century. The Hardware Conference is one of only a few industry events enabling all attendees to enjoy meals, cocktail receptions and outdoor activities as a whole. This is why the Hardware Conference lives up to its slogan: “where relationships are formed.” www.ThehardwareConnection.com
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Hartman’s Hardware in Boutte, La., showed its resilience as Hurricane Ida struck a devastating blow to the community. An entire brick wall and part of their roof collapsed, yet the Do it Best store still opened the next day to serve customers.
The industry’s charitable side was also on display at this year’s Conference. Each year exhibitors donate their booths or services for auction with all proceeds benefiting the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital. This year we raised nearly $20,000 for the foundation. The Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation is a notfor-profit 501(c)(3) established to support the delivery of, and access to, worldclass healthcare at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, South Florida’s only freestanding children’s hospital. The 34th edition of the Hardware Conference is scheduled for August 19-22, 2022 at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort in Marco Island, Fla. We will open registration in early January once our room block is 10 ■ The hARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
available online. In the meantime, you can visit our virtual platform at https:// hardwareconference.526event.com to view Epicor’s POS training or Gary Pittsford’s presentation on “Start Your Exit Plan— Now,” sponsored by ECi. Registration is free for the virtual platform and is available until next year’s Conference. As this article was being written, the remnants of Hurricane Ida were creating flooding in the Northeast after causing massive destruction in Louisiana. Our thoughts go out to everyone impacted and share others around the industry in hoping for a quick recovery. As with all major natural disasters, I am confident the independent hardware channel will lead the way in building back their local communities. ■ www.ThehardwareConnection.com
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7 wAYs to streAmline inventorY mAnAgement retAiler checKlist
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mart inventory management can help you improve revenue potential while streamlining how you operate your business. Monitor your inventory data regularly by implementing these 7 ways to simplify and streamline—for the health of your biggest asset.
1. monitor low inventorY Check on what items are at risk of stock outs. Review the Quantity on Hand 14 ■ The hARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
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(QOH) of your most popular items. If these items drop below the order point, you’re at risk of running out.
2. wAtch For eXcess inventorY Review QOH against order points in your system. If you find QOH that is much greater than order points, it’s likely you’re sitting on excess product—and dollars. Especially if it’s slow-moving or dead items.
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visit epicor.com 3. vAlue Your inventorY dAilY Run an inventory valuation report by department, location, or vendor every day to keep track of how much cash is tied up in your inventory.
4. Know Your top sellers And Bottom dwellers Run a report at least once a week that ranks inventory items by popularity and profitably.
5. re-merchAndise sellers And dwellers Make sure merchandising reflects what you learn in inventory reports. Prime real estate for top sellers. Re-locate and change up displays for dwellers to improve “rediscovery” potential.
6. use promotionAl pricing to move inventorY Attract buyers to slow or non-selling items with special pricing or add-on discounts when purchased with popular items.
7. donAte non-selling items Donate non-selling inventory to churches, schools, shelters, and other organizations that can put them to good use. Keep records of donated inventory for potential tax deduction value.
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The hARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 15
k l a T p Sho TS R C U D O R P E HARDWAR
By Craig Cope
EVIEW
PRODUCT #1: INDOOR AND OUTDOOR TIMERS INTERMATIC In past articles, I have written about the double-digit growth of the home automation market and how it’s showing no signs of stopping. The “smart home” and “internet of things” (IoT) will continue to drive this growth for the next decade. Personally, I am a big fan and our home operates on a home automation platform with full customization. While this can be extremely convenient and at times offers peace of mind by not worrying if you turned off the oven, it does come at a cost. While there is a financial cost, the real cost I am speaking of is when something inevitably goes wrong. As every retailer can attest, when something runs on a computer and software there will be times it fails. I am still recovering from the mocking handed out by my wife when a software update took out our ability to turn on the living room lights for three days. All of this could have been avoided if I had used the reliable and easy-to-install lighting controls offered by Intermatic. 16 ■ THE HARDWARE Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
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UCTS REV
IEW
Intermatic is a family-owned business offering lighting controls and energymanagement solutions for 130 years. Intermatic offers solutions in 18 categories for both retail and OEM markets. We recently received a shipment of a few of their indoor and outdoor timers for review. We provided our testers with the HB11k, a heavy-duty outdoor timer with cover; the TN311K, a lamp and appliance timer; and the T101, a 24-hour mechanical timer switch. Click here for a brief video. All three timers share a few similar qualities: simply plug them into the appropriate receptacle, turn the dial to the desired on/off times and plug in the device you want to control. These timers can control indoor/outdoor lighting, fans, pumps, fountains, conveyors and the list goes on. All of our testers commented on how easy it was to get set up and running on their set schedule. Some elected to control outdoor patio lights and one decided to use the lamp timer to turn on and off the lamp to give the impression someone was home while on vacation. If you are looking www.TheHardwareConnection.com
for a product that sells itself with mass appeal and virtually no chance of a return, take a look at the wide line of products offered by Intermatic.
PRODUCT #2: THEOUTLET SECRET SOCKETS LLC The average American household has 75 electrical outlets with a majority of them being the standard three-prong, 15 amp style. The number of devices requiring electrical
has virtually exploded over the last three decades from mobile phones and computers to tablets and security cameras. Now the average American household has 65 devices either plugged into or permanently connected to the home.
/Ŷ ϮϬϮϭ͕ ƵƌĂĐĞůů ǁŝůů ĐŽŶƚŝŶƵĞ ƚŽ ďƵŝůĚ ĂǁĂƌĞŶĞƐƐ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ƵƌĂĐĞůů “Power Safely initiative that drives awareness of the risks that ůŝƚŚŝƵŵ ĐŽŝŶ ďĂƚƚĞƌŝĞƐ ƉŽƐĞ ĨŽƌ LJŽƵŶŐ ĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶ ĂŶĚ ƚŚĞ ƐƚĞƉƐ ƚŚĂƚ ƵƌĂĐĞůů ŚĂƐ ƚĂŬĞŶ ƚŽ ƉƌĞǀĞŶƚ ƚƌĂŐŝĐ ƌĞƐƵůƚƐ ĂƐƐŽĐŝĂƚĞĚ ǁŝƚŚ ƐǁĂůůŽǁŝŶŐ Ă ůŝƚŚŝƵŵ ĐŽŝŶ ďĂƚƚĞƌLJ͘ KƵƌ ŐŽĂů ůĞǀĞƌĂŐĞ ƵƌĂĐĞůů ůŝƚŚŝƵŵ ĐŽŝŶ ƐĂĨĞƚLJ ŝŶŶŽǀĂƚŝŽŶ ƚŽ ďĞ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ƚƌƵƐƚĞĚ ďĂƚƚĞƌLJ ďƌĂŶĚ ŽĨ ƉĂƌĞŶƚƐ ĞǀĞƌLJǁŚĞƌĞ͘
k l a T p o Sh E PROD HARDWAR
UCTS REV
IEW
The electrical accessories market is not short of devices aimed to add additional outlets to the traditional three-prong outlet. Walk down any electrical aisle of a hardware store and there is no less than a half-dozen or so of these devices—power strips, power towers, power hubs, etc. However, no one has addressed the fundamental problem—the actual plug itself. Well, not until theOUTlet. You can see that theOUTlet looks like a traditional three-prong outlet, but it has a secret that is revealed with a push of a button. When the button is pushed the outlet flips
open to reveal another set of plugs, making for a total of four within the same plug. Click here to see a quick example. Also, theOUTlet installs into any traditional outlet box without any modifications or special tools. Click here to see a 10-minute installation video. You should know that theOUTlet comes in two models: the basic model that features four receptacles and the USB model that features the same four receptacles, but includes two USB ports. Both are tamperresistant and are cETLus certified for the U.S. and Canada.
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We provided both versions to a few testers who felt comfortable swapping out an electrical outlet. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive ranging from “I can finally get rid of that ugly powerstrip” to “I no longer need to go searching for a USB connector to charge my phone at night.” Without a doubt, theOUTlet deserves careful consideration for
space in your store. Just don’t be surprised if your other receptacle expansion accessories start to lose sales.
Proud sponsor of the Beacon Awards!
By Chris Jensen
Independent Channel Reunites at The
Hardware Conference
F
or many attendees, the 33rd edition of The Hardware Conference was the first time they had been at an industry event in 18 months. Some retailers remarked how much they enjoyed being able to gather among their fellow dealers again, as it was something they missed greatly as the pandemic rolled on. Vendors also commented that they have missed participating in live shows and talking directly with
Retailers and vendors had a chance for one-to-one dialogue during exhibit hours.
24 ■ THE HARDWARE Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
Above: A roundtable discussion featured this year’s Beacon Award winners (from l to r): Leigh Ann Akard, Renee Zaman, Charlie Aubuchon, Bernard Aubuchon and Frank Strano. www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Bernard Aubuchon of Aubuchon Hardware (left) speaks during the Beacon roundtable discussion while Frank Strano of Ambridge Do it Best Home Center looks on.
Donna HatteySchauer and Richard Schauer of Schauer’s Hardware.
their retail customers. It was never more fitting for the Conference to live up to its slogan: Where relationships are formed. This year’s Conference, held August 13-15 at the JW Marriott in Marco Island, Fla., served as a coming out for the independent channel, with outstanding retailers honored during the Beacon Awards banquet and other retail attendees claiming business remains strong. “We missed coming to The Hardware Conference last year. It’s been good to get away from the store,” commented Jason Haley, a past Beacon Award winner attending with his wife Melanie. The Hardware Conference was started in 1988 as a way to build relationships to keep the two-step www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Denise and Bob Clemence of Hyde Tools with John Hammond and Tom Chasteen of The Hardware Connection.
Fred Fischer of J3 POS with Orgill President Boyden Moore.
The hospitality suite’s penthouse terrace was the perfect place for informal gathering each night to swap stories and share ideas.
Leigh Ann Akard of Akard True Value Hardware described how she has coped with supply chain issues during the Beacon roundtable discussion.
THE HARDWARE Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 25
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Service counts and knowledgeable dealers are part of the STIHL difference. With more than 85,000 online reviews and counting, STIHL Dealers have an average 4.8 star rating and customers overwhelmingly say they would recommend their dealer to others. Thank you for your dedication and the essential services you provide your community. Together we are STIHL Strong.
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Ratings and reviews of products are based on consumer submissions on STIHLusa.com and dealer sites. © STIHL 2021
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Craig Cope kicked off Friday evening’s banquet by explaining how the money raised for Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation is put to good use.
The 2020 and 2021 Beacon Award winners were honored during Friday evening’s banquet.
channel of distribution healthy for vendors, wholesalers and retailers, so the Conference still has a valuable role to play facilitating open dialogue between trading partners. With last year’s Conference canceled due to the pandemic, Directors Craig and Shanti Cope used the time off to evaluate all aspects of the event. What they came up with is a virtual option that complements the in-person Hardware Conference experience. The virtual platform featured two seminars occurring on Thursday, August 12. The first seminar featured Epicor hosting a full-day training session focusing on topics such as inventory best practices, mobile tools to better serve customers and advanced reporting and analytics. The second seminar, sponsored by ECi Software Solutions, featured Gary Pittsford, president and CEO of Castle Wealth Advisors, who discussed “Exit Planning for Store Owners.” He covered topics such as getting ready for a www.TheHardwareConnection.com
sale, monetizing and valuing your business, and ensuring financial security. Virtual attendees heard and saw everything taking place in the training. And like in-person attendees, virtual attendees could ask questions of the trainer by raising their “virtual hand” and submitting their questions. In addition to simulcasting both the Epicor Technology Forum and ECisponsored seminar, both sessions were recorded and will be available for viewing for one full year. All inperson attendees were automatically registered for the virtual Conference and given a login/password to the virtual platform for viewing at their convenience. The wholesale community lends important support to the Conference each year, with representatives from Orgill and Do it Best Corp. in attendance including Orgill President Boyden Moore and Nick Talarico, vice president of sales and business development for Do it Best Corp. THE HARDWARE Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 27
Renee Zaman of Mazo Hardware outlined how vendors can get her attention with a new product during the Beacon roundtable discussion.
One tradition that continues is the support the industry attendees show for the children’s hospital. On the last night of the Conference all the vendors auction off their booths and the money raised is donated to the Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation.
INDUSTRY GATHERING
Gary Pittsford gave a seminar presentation on “Exit Planning for Store Owners.”
and Don Hoff Jr. of Harleysville Ace Hardware were other past Beacon winners who returned to the Conference. “I find it very beneficial to attend each year and always look forward to it,” said Bob Luedders of Sunnyside Corp.
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION
The open dialogue session on Saturday was highlighted by a panel One of the highlights of this year’s discussion among Beacon Award Conference was the Friday evening honorees moderated by Craig Cope. banquet, where 14 of the industry’s best retailers were honored during the Participating were Leigh Ann Akard ninth annual Beacon Awards program. of Akard True Value Hardware, Charlie and Bernard Aubuchon of See additional story on page 34. Aubuchon Hardware, Renee Zaman of Leading vendors participate with Mazo Hardware and Frank Strano of tabletop booths displaying their latAmbridge Do it Best Home Center. est product innovations, which retailThe disruptions in the supply chaners could view during Saturday and nel were of course a hot topic of disSunday morning exhibit hours. cussion. The Beacon panel members “We greatly enjoyed attending the Conference in 2019 and looked forward were asked if they would stick with to returning this year,” said Jim Lehrer alternative sources of supply they were forced to use during the pandemic. of Brownsboro Hardware & Paint, “We were fortunate that we had a 2019 Beacon Award honoree. Bill Pastermack of Ace Hardware Titusville alternate sources lined up prior to
28 ■ THE HARDWARE Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Gino Angelici of WD-40 (right) and Hardware Conference Director Craig Cope (left) present a Lifetime Achievement Award to Jim Potocki, who is retiring after 21 years at WD-40.
the pandemic. It did cause us to be creative and opened our eyes to new offerings,” Akard said. “We had to scramble a bit but we stayed with our primary supplier,” commented Charlie Aubuchon. Strano added, “We used Do it Best’s reserved program and were fortunate to get what we needed.” When asked how they were handling price changes, Strano responded that they do price changes religiously every week. “We refined our system and are very aggressive at raising prices. When you’re doing a lot of price changes it’s easy to miss one, so we made it easier to change price labels.” Bernard Aubuchon said, “We’re raising retails as fast as we get increases. Consumers expect inflation. It has to be a priority at the store level.” Added Charlie Aubuchon, “We did more price increases from January to April than we did all of last year. We ran out of price labels.” Akard said, “We like to say the last mistake is the best teacher. We neglected to look at price changes for services www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Andy Wales and Larry Gunther of Procell with Bill Pastermack of Ace Hardware Titusville.
Bernard Aubuchon, Aubuchon Hardware; David Mobley, Orgill; Charlie Aubuchon, Aubuchon Hardware; Jeff Thomas and Fred Arthur of Orgill.
like delivery and rental. This year our word is ‘simplify.’” Bill Cassidy of Reliance Water Heaters pointed out that their costs continue to rise for steel, labor and freight. “We were paying $661 a ton last year and now it’s up to $2,125 a ton—that’s a 217 percent increase, which is a real cost that has to be passed on,” he said. Bob Clemence of Hyde Tools commented about the escalating cost of importing goods. “Containers used to be $2,000, two months ago they were $12,000 and last week it was $24,000 for the same product. They had to THE HARDWARE Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 29
Porter and Cecil Eiserer of Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware.
Randy Rusk of Do it Best Corp. with his wife Julie.
Bill Pastermack of Ace Hardware Titusville made a plaque of life donation.
lower the amount of weight in containers so they can go through the Panama Canal. These are the issues we are dealing with on a regular basis.” He added, “This is just so we can maintain inventory. There is a shortage of drivers and trucks. For the coming fall shows my drop-ship
Bill Cassidy of Reliance Water Heaters with his wife Darla.
charge is $1,600 instead of $400, because domestic freight has gone up 30 percent.” The panelists noted how the pandemic has caused them to evaluate and change their operations. “We’re bringing more local into our store and thinking outside the box,” said Akard.
Toshua and Cassie Parker of ToshCo with Amir and Renee Zaman and Yvette Peterson of Mazo Hardware.
“We bring in local honey and greeting cards. We held a ‘Go loco with locals’ event to champion their wares,” said Zaman. Aubuchon Hardware started early, according to Charlie Aubuchon. “As the pandemic hit, our curbside service went crazy. We do very little print advertising now. We were
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Conference Directors Craig and Shanti Cope with Bernard Aubuchon of Aubuchon Hardware.
ahead of the curve and it paid off. Bigger retailers will keep pushing it higher,” he said. “The pandemic brought us new customers, who are still shopping with us,” remarked Strano. Richard Schauer of Schauer’s Hardware in Forest Park, Ill., expressed the belief that online will be around forever. “We’ve seen more new people. Customers were afraid to shop the big
Fred Fischer of J3 POS with Orgill President Boyden Moore.
boxes in Chicago, because they don’t have rules. They are more comfortable with a smaller and more personable store,” he said. When asked about succession planning, Charlie Aubuchon said their company is at the tail end of the third generation and the fourth generation of the family is involved now. “We’re always looking for acquisitions. It’s important to keep the bench going,” he said.
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32 ■ THE HARDWARE Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Tom and Susan Pulsifer of Mills and Nebraska.
Tom Chasteen, Charlie Aubuchon of Aubuchon Hardware, Dale Chasteen, Paul Dupont of Orgill, Dan Hitchcock of Miami Home Centers.
“It’s up to my son, David,” said Strano. “These are the good times. We definitely have plans and we want to expand our existing store and open another paint store. You don’t want to be in debt when the leaner times come.” “We did start looking at succession planning,” said Akard. “We’re trying to see what the next phase looks like and figure out what’s working. See what we need to simplify.”
Dan Beck, Shanti Cope, John and Billie Hammond.
THANKS TO SPONSORS Special thanks go to the marquee sponsors: The Hardware Connection magazine, The Hillman Group and Hyde Tools, along with participating wholesalers Do it Best Corp. and Orgill. Additional sponsors include: Apex Tool Group, Duracell, ECi, Epicor, Fluidmaster, Sunnyside Corporation and WD-40. Start making plans to attend next year’s Hardware Conference, scheduled for August 19-21, 2022 at the JW Marriott Marco Island Resort. For more information, call Craig or Shanti Cope at (305) 853-0049 or go to www.thehardwareconference.com. ■ www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Leading vendors used tabletop booths to explain their latest innovations to retailers in attendance.
Kevin and Sharona Miller of Miller’s Building Supply with Jim and Marilyn Lehrer of Brownsboro Hardware & Paint.
THE HARDWARE Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 33
Beacon awards The 2021 Beacon Award honorees and sponsors.
Beacon Awards Honor Industry’s
Top
click to watch a 2020 & 2021 Beacon awards recap
Retailers F
The 2020 Beacon Award honorees and sponsors. 34 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
ourteen hardware retailers were honored as 2020 and 2021 Beacon Award winners during a special awards banquet held on August 13 at the JW Marriott in Marco Island, Fla. Since last year’s Hardware Conference had to be canceled due to the pandemic, the 2020 Beacon Award winners were honored along with 2021 Beacon honorees at this year’s Hardware Conference.
www.TheHardwareConnection.com
The 2020 and 2021 Beacon honorees sat at special head tables with the sponsors.
Steve Hildebrandt of Ettore (left) with Chris Jensen.
Royce Christopher of Epicor (left) with Chris Jensen.
The Beacon Awards, now in their ninth year, are a premier national industry awards program developed by The Hardware Connection magazine and The Hardware Conference to recognize the “best of the best”
independent hardware/home improvement retailers. The Beacon Awards are sponsored by Epicor and Ettore, with wholesaler sponsorship support from Do it Best Corp. and Orgill. The Beacon Awards banquet honored the 2020 and 2021 Retail Beacon Award winners for each of the two participating wholesalers, plus eight winners of the Beacon Award for Community Service and two winners for Best New Store. “It has been my privilege to be a part of this industry for over 50 years, but last year was unlike any other,” stated John Hammond, senior business advisor of The Hardware Connection, who served as master of ceremonies along with Chris Jensen,
www.TheHardwareConnection.com
THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 35
John Hammond (left) and Chris Jensen (right) served as presenters for the Beacon Awards.
Beacon awards
Do it Best Beacon winners — Front row l to r: Nick Talarico, Do it Best Corp.; Melissa Bailey and Earl Van Buskirk, Island Home Center; Renee Zaman, Mazo Hardware; Jody and Joe Burks, Wholesale Lumber Company. Back row l to r: Eric Knox, Do it Best Corp., Frank and Christine Strano, Ambridge Do it Best Home Center; Sharona and Cecil Eiserer, Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware; Mary and Tim Post, T&M Hardware & Rental.
Orgill Beacon winners — (L to r): Boyden Moore, Orgill Inc.; Bernard and Charlie Aubuchon, Aubuchon Hardware; Joseph Puhalla, Bomgaars; Cassie and Toshua Parker, ToshCo; Jimmy Mathews, Bartlett’s Lumber & Hardware.
36 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
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Tim Post of T&M Hardware & Rental.
Sharona Eiserer of Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware.
Leigh Ann Akard of Akard True Value Hardware.
Frank Strano of Ambridge Do it Best Home Center.
Bernard Aubuchon of Aubuchon Hardware.
editor and founding principal of The Hardware Connection. “Despite the difficulties, you shined. You showed the country how personal customer service and community service differentiates you from the big box and internet competitors,” Hammond said. “We have a chance www.TheHardwareConnection.com
THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 37
Beacon awards
From l to r: Boyden Moore, president of Orgill; Charlie and Bernard Aubuchon of Aubuchon Hardware, and Chris Jensen, editor of The Hardware Connection.
Toshua Parker of ToshCo.
Todd Scales and Leign Ann Akard of Akard True Value Hardware, with Chris Jensen, editor of The Hardware Connection.
Joseph Puhalla of Bomgaars.
38 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
to give much-deserved recognition to our 2020 Beacon Award winners for community service. These are retailers who went above and beyond to serve their communities during the pandemic.” Click here to view an overview video of this year’s Beacon Awards banquet. The 2020 Beacon Award honorees include: • Beacon Award for Community Service — Island Home Center & Lumber, Vashon, Wash., owned by Earl Van Buskirk. Click here to view video. • Beacon Award for Community Service — Aubuchon Hardware, Westminster, Mass., owned by the Aubuchon family. Click here to view video. • Beacon Award for Community Service — Wholesale Lumber Company, Clint, Texas, owned by Joe and Jody Burks. Click here to view video. • Beacon Award for Community Service — Akard True Value Hardware, Zionsville, Ind., owned by Leigh Ann Akard. Click here to view video. • Beacon Award for Community Service — ToshCo, Gustavus, Alaska, owned by Toshua and Cassie Parker. Click here to view video. www.TheHardwareConnection.com
• Beacon Award for Community Service — Mazo Hardware, Mazomanie, Wis., owned by Renee and Amir Zaman. Click here to view video. • Beacon Award for Community Service — Jabo’s Ace Hardware, Keller, Texas, owned by Bill and Renae Jablonowski. • Beacon Award for Community Service — Miner’s Ace Hardware, Grover Beach, Calif., owned by the Miner and Filice families. • Retail Beacon Award — McGuckin Hardware, Boulder, Colo., owned by Barry and Vicki Hight. Click here to view video. • Retail Beacon Award — T&M Hardware & Rental, Ellwood City, Pa., owned by Tim and Mary Post. Click here to view video. The 2021 Beacon Award honorees include: • Retail Beacon Award — Ambridge Do it Best Home Center, Ambridge, Pa., owned by Frank Strano. • Retail Beacon Award — Bartlett’s Lumber & Hardware, Canadian, Texas, owned by Terrill Bartlett. • Best New Store, Under 20,000 sq. ft. — Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware Supply, Carrollton, Mo., owned by Sharona and Cecil Eiserer. • Best New Store, Over 20,000 sq. ft. — Bomgaars, Council Bluffs, www.TheHardwareConnection.com
From l to r: Eric Knox, regional sales and business development manager, Do it Best Corp.; Nick Talarico, vice president of sales and business development, Do it Best Corp.; Sharona, Porter and Cecil Eiserer, Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware.
Jimmy Mathews of Bartlett’s Lumber & Hardware.
Iowa, Owned by Roger and Jane Bomgaars. All Beacon winners received a trophy and free travel and registration for two to attend The Hardware Conference. The 2021 Beacon Award honorees are all profiled with feature articles in this issue, beginning on page 40. n THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 39
By Chris Jensen
Beacon Award for Best New Store Under 20,000 sq. ft. Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware Supply Carrollton, Mo.
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ood Shed Lumber & Hardware Supply owners Sharona & Cecil Eiserer have always been passionate, independent business go-getters in their small town of Carrollton, Mo. In 2004, Sharona joined Cecil in his home building and remodeling business, which blossomed into a construction company tackling large commercial projects. 40 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
click to watch Wood shed lumber’s Beacon award presentation video Cecil and Sharona Eiserer are developing Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware into a strong, sustainable business that can someday be passed on to their kids (from l to r): Cicily, Porter and Novah.
After building numerous regional Pizza Hut restaurants, the Eiserers decided to buy in and they found themselves running 17 of them. But by the spring of 2016 the couple realized that franchisee ownership just didn’t feel right anymore. At the same time, their local lumberyard was www.TheHardwareConnection.com
for sale and about to be shuttered. Cecil knew that losing it would not only be a big loss for his own company, but a huge loss for their community, too. “We didn’t want to lose the lumberyard for the community. We were in the process of ending one deal, so it was good timing,” Cecil explains. The Eiserers decided to buy the struggling lumberyard. They felt they would need to make some drastic changes to their newly acquired business, because they both strongly believed that Carrollton deserved a modern hardware store and lumberyard experience. “We went to the Do it Best market in May 2016 before we owned the business. Everyone there had a smile on their face,” Cecil says. Adds Sharona, “When we met the Do it Best family, we were sold—they were welcoming and like a family from the beginning. We were blown away.”
Designing the Best store Digging deeper into survey data conducted by Do it Best, Sharona realized there was plenty of interest from DIYers and that the existing 2,000-square-foot store and the accompanying lumberyard were simply too small and uninviting to shoppers. www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Left: Wood Shed Lumber’s new 12,000-square-foot store replaced a tired 2,000-square-foot lumberyard that was on the verge of closing. Right: Cecil and Sharona Eiserer rebuilt their town’s lumberyard to provide a well-stocked, well-merchandised store for the community.
They enlisted the help of Do it Best’s Store Design and Retail Performance teams to completely reinvent the business. They boldly reimagined the new Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware Supply, building a brand new 12,000-square-foot retail home improvement store facility from the ground up and turning the existing yard into a fullservice, drive-up lumberyard. “We told Do it Best we didn’t want the store to be a cookie cutter,” says Sharona, who chose brown, gray and copper hues to make a cohesive color theme throughout the store. Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware Supply opened in January 2019 and was an immediate hit with the community. From the reclaimed wood accents to the custom scorched enhancements and stain on barn doors throughout the store, Cecil’s construction expertise is on display. They used tin ceiling tiles removed THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 41
from an old shed in the lumberyard to retain a little history of the business and repurposed an antique wooden farm wagon to display products. A local wood carver crafted an eye-catching sign. It’s clearly not a cookie-cutter store. “We went with wider aisles, added shopping carts, installed better lighting,” says Sharona. “It just feels different. It feels like you’re going into someone’s home and it’s very inviting.” She adds, “I didn’t realize we were exceeding expectations. The feedback we got is we can’t believe this is here in Carrollton. Now customers have everything they need right here. We didn’t want to give people a reason to shop elsewhere.” Sharona also recognized an opportunity to attract an underserved customer base—women. “It took a while to get women to come into the store,” she says. “Then we built the new building and put in housewares and lawn and garden and expanded paint and now they come in and bring pictures and say this is what I’m working on.” They held a month-long grand opening that included a ladies night event. Practically every category they sell has recorded significant growth. That’s mainly 42 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
Left: The store focuses on delivering personalized service to pro and DIY customers. Middle: The highly visible paint department has been an integral part of the store’s mission to attract more female customers. Right: Sharona leads by example to ensure her team of 17 employees helps customers the best they can.
due to Cecil’s motto—”If you don’t have it, you can’t sell it.”
Becoming a one-stop shop Cecil and Sharona bought the lot across the street from their new store and transformed that into Wood Shed Outdoor Power & Rental, which opened in March 2021. The 7,200-square-foot building features a large showroom featuring STIHL power equipment, Gravely mowers, Traeger and other grills, patio furniture and YETI. Another large space features their expanded rental inventory and roomier service bays. Moving rental across the street freed up space inside the main store, which was used to expand into major appliances, showers, countertops and flooring. “The entire shopping experience is evolving, making Wood Shed a one-stop shop for our customers,” Sharona says. www.TheHardwareConnection.com
The Eiserers’ investment in the new store is showing great returns. From the time they closed on the purchase of the lumberyard to just before the grand
opening of the new location, sales more than doubled from $900,000 to $2.5 million. After adding appliances, 2020 store sales surpassed their expectations at over $5 million. Sharona says 2021 got off to a solid start and she was confident that the new rental business would help them exceed those numbers. “Our growth has far exceeded our expectations and pro forma,” she points out. Adding more stores is a definite possibility, especially as their three (soon to be four) kids get older and more involved in the business. “This has always been a family deal,” Sharona says. “We’re one of the few businesses in town that hires 15-year-olds. We can see talent and grow them in responsibility.” Their kids—Porter, 14; Cicily, 10; and Novah, 4—are featured in the store’s radio ads and their pictures can be found on billboards. Family photos are displayed prominently in the store to show the business is run by a family, not an impersonal chain. Winning the Beacon Award has turned into the icing on the cake for the Eiserers. “It truly surprised me to be nominated in such a small town. It’s definitely an honor to receive such an award. It means we’ve worked hard and hard work pays off, and it gives the kids more inspiration,” Cecil says. Adds Sharona, “It’s humbling and exciting to see our hard work and commitment to the community be recognized.” n
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THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 43
Top: The business, which reopened as Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware in January 2019, was an immediate hit with the community. Middle: Cecil and Sharona purchased the lot across the street and turned that into Wood Shed Outdoor Power & Rental, a 7,200-square-foot showroom featuring power equipment, grills, outdoor furniture and rental inventory. Bottom: An antique wooden farm wagon is used to display products in the new showroom for outdoor power equipment, grills and rental.
Extraordinary times reveal extraordinary people. Our 2021 Beacon Award winners prove that Do it Best will always be there for our customers and communities – through any challenge.
Appearing above from left to right: Frank Strano: Retailer Beacon | Ambridge Do it Best Home Center | Ambridge, PA ®
Since 1969, Frank Strano and his family have used bold innovation and deep community commitment to grow what began as a locally focused home remodeling business into the regionally popular Ambridge Do it Best Home Center. Through it all, Frank has remained humble, quietly using his resources to support the local organizations that share his commitment to community. Moving forward, Frank is preparing to hand operations to his son David, confident that the family business will continue to be there for his customers and community.
Sharona & Cecil Eiserer: Best New Store | Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware Supply | Carrollton, MO When Sharona and Cecil Eiserer set out to acquire and modernize the lumberyard in their small community, they went all in to add local do-it-yourselfers to their customer base. The Eiserers worked with the Do it Best store design and retail performance teams to create a 12,000-square-foot shopping environment with warm, welcoming décor and complete hardware, paint, kitchen and bath, and outdoor departments. The Eiserers’ investment is paying off. In 2020, sales more than doubled. The Eiserers have already added equipment rental to further establish Wood Shed Lumber & Hardware Supply as the go-to destination for their community.
Our congratulations to this year’s Beacon Award honorees. Your effort and dedication are shining examples for our industry to follow.
By Chris Jensen
Beacon Award for Best New Store Over 20,000 sq. ft.
Bomgaars
Council Bluffs, Iowa click to watch Bomgaars’ Beacon award presentation video
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omgaars has transformed a shuttered chain store into a shining example of what their community needs, providing a one-stop shop for everything from hardware and tools to footwear and feed. The Bomgaars store in Council Bluffs, Iowa, moved from a 33,500-square foot space into a former Kmart, bumping its square footage to 84,000 square feet and becoming a Bomgaars superstore. After it moved to the new location in September 2019, it didn’t take long for the Council Bluffs store to become an all-star www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Joseph Puhalla is manager of Bomgaars’ new store in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
performer. Sales in the new location are up 55 percent from the previous year, and the store has exceeded the monthly sales goal every month since opening. The remodel included widening aisles, replacing some of the flooring and electrical and adding lighting for display cases. “Orgill has been a key partner in our success every single time our stores have expanded, relocated or improved in any manner,” says Joseph Puhalla, who has been the manager at Council Bluffs since August 2015. “Whenever THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 45
Left: The already massive footwear department has proven so popular it will be undergoing further expansion. Upper right: Five aisles are devoted to DeWalt products, turning the store into a destination for power tools and accessories.
we call on them to assist, they step up and provide relocation teams who set product in a quick turnaround. They also Lower right: The core of the business is farm and ranch categories like animal feed. provide valuable input in designing our farm and ranch, pet, automotive, sportproduct planograms, while their Smart Start program has been crucial in open- ing goods, scrubs and medical wear, housewares and toys. They will also find ing new stores.” more brands in departments like pet food and horse feed. one-stop shop “The core of our business is farm Fulfilling Bomgaars’ mission—to have and ranch,” Puhalla notes, adding that what you need, when you need it, at Council Bluffs is a heavy agricultural the right price—the Council Bluffs store stocks products in major core categories, area with a great environment for raisincluding electrical, plumbing, lawn and ing livestock as well as field crops. It is also in a more urban demographic with garden, tools, hardware and paint. about 62,000 residents and Omaha just The store’s larger size means it can across the river. carry a wider assortment of products— Promoting the store-within-a-store customers can shop additional niche catconcept, this location has a large DeWalt egories such as clothing and footwear, 46 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
www.TheHardwareConnection.com
store within the main store that occupies nearly five aisles. The DeWaltbranded signage, displays and endcaps used in this area make it clear to customers that Bomgaars is a go-to store for DeWalt tools and accessories. “Our employees are trained in DeWalt power tools, so customers know they can rely on them to answer their questions,” says Puhalla. “I think that’s a big thing that sets us apart across the other areas of the store, too; customers know our employees can help them find what they need quickly and accurately.” The clothing area has a department store feel and is divided into different clothing shops dedicated to Carhartt, Dickies, Key and Ariat brands, with creative merchandising unique to each brand. “We drastically expanded the clothing department. We have been able to add new brands and create a destination for footwear,” says Puhalla. “Every department in the store grew and the extra space has allowed better merchandising to promote the sales.”
creative merchanDising Inventive merchandising can be seen in other areas of the store as well. “We www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Left: Footwear, power tools and power equipment are the three largest categories. Right: The clothing area has a department store feel and is divided into different clothing shops by brand.
repurpose merchandise, like our galvanized feed troughs or stock tanks, and flip those over to use as displays,” adds Assistant Manager Steve Reiger. “They work well, look nice and show customers some of the products we carry.” They continue to tweak the assortments to better serve customers. “With the success of footwear, we are adding many new styles and this will require a major aisle shift to make the new space,” Puhalla points out. So far, the community seems to really enjoy the new space. “They like being able to shop in a more organized store with more choices,” he adds. “Staffing, product availability and behavior have changed the way everybody does business and even expectations from customers and employees.” A bigger store means more employees, and Council Bluffs now has 47 employees, which is about 20 more than before. “We try to use shadowing as much as possible to help them learn. As THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 47
Upper left: The 84,000-square-foot location is one of Bomgaars’ largest stores. Lower left: By more than doubling in size, the new Council Bluffs store has been able to expand greatly in categories like hardware. Right: Pet food is one of the major niche categories.
opened its 100th store in April and now has 107 stores in Colorado, Iowa, Idaho, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. impacting the community The fourth-generation company, which Bomgaars prides itself on having a is owned by Roger and Jane Bomgaars, positive impact in the communities it serves, and the Council Bluffs store is no began in Sioux City, Iowa in 1952, when exception. The store supports local orga- Bill Bomgaars was one of four men to form the Mid-States buying group to purnizations like 4-H and the National FFA Organization, and during its most recent sue the farm fleet business. “We grow by opportunity and recently ladies’ night event, it donated 5 percent have moved into several empty buildings of all sales from the evening to a local in small-to-medium sized towns in the hospital’s women’s health program. Midwest that were former Shopko stores,” They host Bomgaars Show Clinic Tours, where customers can come in and says Torrey Wingert, vice president and chief financial officer for Bomgaars. learn about farm and animal topics like “It’s such a great honor to even be animal selection, showmanship, feed and nominated for the Beacon Award, let management. In addition, the company alone win it. To be chosen for this is an supports past and current members of extreme honor,” says Puhalla. “My crew the military with social media posts and works very hard for the success of this by selling military-related merchandise business with no expectation of this kind from the Chris Kyle Frog Foundation. of recognition. I am glad to share this The Council Bluffs store is part of the honor with them.” n growing Bomgaars company, which
they learn, they are given more responsibilities,” says Puhalla.
48 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Orgill Inc. Congratulates its Beacon Award Winners
Joseph Puhalla of Bomgaars
Jimmy Mathews of Bartlett’s Lumber & Hardware
(Left to right): Boyden Moore, Orgill Inc.; Bernard Aubuchon, Aubuchon Hardware; Charlie Aubuchon, Aubuchon Hardware; Joseph Puhalla, Bomgaars; Cassie Parker, ToshCo; Toshua Parker, ToshCo; Jimmy Mathews, Bartlett’s Lumber & Hardware
BEACON AWARDS: The Industry’s Awards Program Honoring the Best Retailers
By Chris Jensen
Retail Beacon Award Ambridge Do it Best Home Center Ambridge, Pa.
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click to watch ambridge Do it Best home center’s Beacon award presentation video
rowing up in western Pennsylvania, Frank Strano knew he didn’t want to follow his father into the steel mills. Frank’s brief time after college in an office job at a steel mill convinced him to do something else. “What I saw in the steel mills was a complete lack of investment in equipment— everything dated back to the 1940s,” he explains. “I knew that was not what I wanted to do with the rest of my life.” So, Frank joined his brothers in a successful home remodeling business: F.D. Strano Sales. Later, they even convinced their dad to leave his steel mill job and join them in the business. The family’s home remodeling business was growing throughout the 1970s and the Stranos needed a large
Frank Strano has worked hard to grow and improve Ambridge Do it Best Home Center since starting back in 1980.
50 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
www.TheHardwareConnection.com
warehouse to store materials, which they had been buying by the truckload. They began selling roofing, siding and gutters to other contractors out the back, which is how Ambridge Building Center got its start in 1980. In 1982, True Value convinced them to expand into hardware, so the combination hardware store and specialty building supply center became Ambridge True Value Home Center. Investing in the Epicor point-of-sale system back in 1988 turned out to be one of the best decisions Frank ever made. “I had decided to go with another system, but the Epicor sales guy convinced me it would pay for itself in nine months,” Frank
recalls. “He was right—it did pay for itself, and it was a major turning point in how we grew the business. We started collecting data and knew what to buy.”
proactive maneuvers against competition The business thrived throughout the 1980s, but Frank knew the big boxes would arrive soon, so he made the proactive move to construct a 40,000-square-foot building featuring 25,000 square feet of retail space, moving to the new location in 1995. Then came an unexpected development. In 1996, Sears opened three hardware stores in a small but more affluent town just two miles away on the same highway. As Frank recalls, “We did bang-up sales the first year, then sales dropped 5 percent the second year after Sears opened. If that’s all they took from us, then I knew they weren’t doing well.” People were driving past all three Sears stores to come to Ambridge Home Center, because Frank had developed a more customer-friendly store. Two years later, Sears closed all three stores. “We didn’t like that they were there, but our goal was never to put them out www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Left: Frank Strano is proud of the contributions his son David has made to improve the business with particular emphasis on social media. Right: With 35,000 square feet of selling space, Ambridge Do it Best Home Center can meet the needs of its diverse customer base.
of business,” Frank explains. “We just worked hard to keep up, and they eventually realized it wasn’t worth it to stay open to gain only 5 percent with the same square footage.”
partnering With Do it Best After being with True Value for two decades, Frank joined Ace in 2001. He switched once more to Do it Best in 2007 and jokes, “I’m on my third marriage now with Do it Best and I’m very happy.” Do it Best helped Frank expand the retail space in 2009 to 35,000 square feet so he could display more merchandise. He used the added space to bring out the back stock and spread it out a little more, which created the perception the store was carrying lots of new products. With Ambridge’s economy and population on the decline, the store’s sales became stagnant despite the expansion. THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 51
“My wants and needs are not the same as our associates, so I don’t try to mold them into my way of thinking. Everybody should be treated as an individual,” he says. Frank adds, “The employees all understand that this is a relationship business where we listen to the customer, have the product knowledge and then satisfy their needs.”
grooming the neXt generation
Top: Regular expansion and remodel projects have ensured the store stays relevant to local customers. Bottom: Adding donuts from a local bakery has had a dramatic impact on early Saturday morning sales.
In 2010, he developed an INCOM supply business that has found success selling to small industrial mills by undercutting the big boxes. Frank says Do it Best has helped them the most by letting them have flexibility in their business. “What works in one community may not work in another, and Do it Best let us decide what products are needed and made them available to us,” Frank explains. Frank is hands on with the business but hands off with their 75 associates. 52 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
Frank is very proud that his son David has followed him into the business and is now seen as the face of the store. David has spearheaded a robust social media campaign that reaches customers 20 miles away. In 2016, the two partnered to open The Color Palette Paint Store in Pittsburgh, a pro-focused store selling Benjamin Moore paint. Another expansion project did not pan out. In 2017, the Stranos opened Hampton Do it Best Home Center in a high-income area 35 miles away. “I should have done more homework before opening that store,” Frank admits. “It turned out that customers were buying low-margin items like grills in great numbers, but DIY stuff like hardware and paint wasn’t selling.” They closed that store in early 2021 and chalked it up to a learning experience. Frank has always liked to experiment with different niche categories, and David is full of creative ideas to carry products not found at the big boxes. One example is pasta sauce www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Upper left: In 2016, the Stranos opened The Color Palette Paint Store in Pittsburgh, a profocused store selling Benjamin Moore paint. Lower left: The store features lots of niche categories such as workwear and Pittsburgh sports team merchandise. Right: Regular visits from food trucks help boost store traffic.
from one of Pittsburgh’s top restaurants, while sports team merchandise for Pittsburgh’s three pro teams has become very popular in the store. Frank credits David for the success of several food-related initiatives. They have picked up traffic and sales by hosting the Peach Truck and from regular visits from food trucks in the parking lot. David had the idea to bring in donuts from a nearby bakery and now the store gets busy at 7 a.m. on a Saturday instead of at 10 a.m. Ambridge Do it Best Home Center is known for helping the community with fundraisers and donations. Frank served as president of the local chamber of commerce, but says David is now the one making the connections with local www.TheHardwareConnection.com
groups. “You’ve got to get younger people involved to keep things going. Listen to them and let them run the show,” Frank says. With David taking on more day-to-day responsibilities, Frank has started entertaining thoughts about retirement. “I’m trying to teach David about margins and the financials. He should have the vision of how to take Ambridge into the next 10 or 20 years,” he says. Looking back on his 40-plus years of experience as a retailer, Frank says, “I feel I’m very lucky to receive a Beacon Award, because there are a lot of other retailers who are just as deserving. I represent all the other hard-working hardware retailers who love what they do.” n THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 53
Sponsors:
Co-Sponsors:
A Special Thank You to the Beacon Awards Sponsors The Beacon Awards program is an annual event honoring the best retailers in the industry. They are made possible by the generous support of sponsors who recognize the importance of honoring those retailers who represent the future of the two-step channel.
2020 Beacon Award Winners and Sponsors
The 2020 and 2021 Beacon Awards were sponsored by Epicor, Ettore, The Hardware Conference and The Hardware Connection magazine. They were also cosponsored by Do it Best Corp. and Orgill Inc.
2021 Beacon Award Winners and Sponsors
By Chris Jensen
Retail Beacon Award
Bartlett’s Lumber & Hardware Canadian, Texas
Click to watch Bartlett’s Lumber & Hardware’s Beacon Award Presentation Video
C
ommunity involvement isn’t just a catchphrase or feel-good sentiment for Bartlett’s Lumber & Hardware, which was founded by Bill Bartlett in 1937. For his son Terrill Bartlett, who runs the business today with 10 locations spread across the Texas Panhandle, supporting the community is more than just empty platitudes; it’s putting words into action. Being involved in the community means helping customers navigate the extreme weather that can sometimes cross the Texas Panhandle. “Anytime there is a storm in one of our communities, we donate the equipment and our employees donate their time to help clean up,” says Terrill, who along with several employees are volunteers with their local fire departments and EMS units. www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Upper: Bartlett’s Lumber & Hardware includes 10 locations across the Texas Panhandle. Lower: Terrill Bartlett, second-generation owner of Bartlett’s Lumber & Hardware, grew up working in the business.
“When they are dispatched to an incident, we keep them clocked in,” he adds. “We want our employees involved THE HARDWARE Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 55
Upper left: Bartlett’s main store is in Canadian, Texas, which is where the company’s general office and distribution center are located. Right: Farm and ranch is a dominant category at Bartlett’s. Lower left: Paint is a top-selling category for Bartlett’s 10 stores, which attract more DIY than pro sales.
in the community, so we remove as many barriers to that as we can.” In March 2017, several counties around Canadian—where Bartlett’s general office and distribution center are located—suffered property and personal damage from a 300,000-acre grass fire. It was especially painful for Bartlett’s as they lost an employee who was trying to get home to his pregnant wife. The company donated over $100,000 to area ranchers and fire departments that suffered losses during the fire. In 2020, the Meals on Wheels facility in Shamrock, Texas, burned down and Bartlett’s donated materials to have it rebuilt. “Obviously, life in small rural communities is different from larger cities. Everyone knows everybody and you 56 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
feel compelled to be a part of that community. We have been very blessed and are always happy to assist when the need arises,” Terrill says. Bartlett’s partners with Red Brand to help support and donate to the local chapters of the FFA (Future Farmers of America) organization.
sales on the upsWing Bartlett’s continues to set new sales records each year, with sales up 21 percent last year. The stores are neat, clean and easy-to-navigate, allowing customers to find what they need, with free intown delivery provided. “We carry a lot of farm and ranch clothing and boots to serve our customers,” says Terrill. Farm and ranch is a big category for Bartlett’s, which recently expanded into feed for farm animals. Other top www.TheHardwareConnection.com
niche categories include fire-retardant clothing and irrigation supplies. “We have a lot of contractor and commercial sales, but most is still DIY business,” according to Terrill. Bartlett’s has used technology to enhance the customer’s shopping experience. “We use tablets with remote access to our main point-of-sale system, which allows us to create customer quotes, purchase orders and sales transactions remotely,” Terrill points out. They have an extensive e-commerce section on their website that includes an e-catalog, product selection guide, buying guides and a project center to guide customers in choosing the right products for their project. Bartlett’s implemented buy online, pickup in store during COVID. They launched a mobile app, ProLink, that gives customers on-demand access to place orders, submit quotes, find account information and check delivery or pickup status.
taking care of employees Bartlett’s care for the community is seen in the way it treats its employees. The company has about100 employees, with many joining the team and www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Left: Bartlett’s store in Dalhart features a prominent checkout and customer service counter. Right: A new location opened in Perryton in January 2020 with double the sales space.
not leaving until they retire. It is one of the few retailers that has not had any problems with staffing or hiring during the pandemic. Terrill learned an important retail lesson from his father. “He always said that if you take care of your employees and your customers, everything else will fall into place and that is very true. Happy employees create happy customers,” he points out. “We strive to make sure everyone is treated and paid fairly,” says Terrill. “We compensate our employees that take the NRHA training programs, and we have an extensive employee training and safety program.” Terrill grew up working in the business along with his brother Tom, who retired several years ago. “We communicated well with each other and we always knew of any difficulties the other one was having. We also agreed to never make any major decision that we did not both agree on. If we did not agree we
THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 57
storage space. They have now converted four stores to drive-through lumberyards. Bartlett’s opened a new location in Perryton in January 2020 with double the sales floor space, but the pandemic forced them to wait a year to hold a grand opening in May. “The new store is doing well,” Terrill says. “The grand opening was a huge success, but it was due in large part to the fact that people were anxious to get out and gather somewhere to experience an event that felt normal again.” They have also started construction on a new store in Pampa to replace an older one and it will be modeled after the one they built in Perryton. Upper: Bartlett’s store in Wellington was voted Best Hardware Store. “Orgill has a very reliable distribution program, strong rebate and adverLower: The Spearman store that opened tising programs and they help a lot in 2013 was a former car dealership, with the service bay area reconfigured into a with e-commerce,” says Terrill. “But 25,000-square-foot drive-thru lumberyard. the one thing that really sets them would put it on the shelf and come back apart is our sales rep, Kerry Rosson. Kerry will suggest new products, but to it later,” Terrill says. Now Terrill’s sons Coleman and Bryan only to the extent that he feels it will help the store. If he feels that it’s not a represent the third generation of the family. Coleman’s main responsibility is good fit, then he will tell you. He helps set up new products and suggests watching over margins and inventory, while Bryan oversees the IT department, changes that can help the store’s visual appeal. He has been Orgill’s biggest which has grown a lot over the years. asset for us.” “We feel very honored to have won opening neW stores the Beacon Award, but we also recogBartlett’s Spearman store that nize it would not have been possible opened in 2013 was a former car dealwithout God’s blessings and our dediership, and they reconfigured the sercated employees. This award is a testavice bay area into a 25,000-square-foot drive-thru lumberyard with a mezzanine ment to them,” says Terrill. n 58 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Wholesaling
5 Questions for Ace Hardware’s
John Surane
C
ontinuing a series of interviews John Surane is with key wholesaler execs this executive vice year, Editor Chris Jensen interpresident, chief viewed John Surane, executive vice merchandising and sales president, chief merchandising and sales officer at Ace officer at Ace Hardware Corp. Hardware Corp.
1. With Ace reporting record revenues and net income for the first quarter, how much of that can be attributed to the pandemic and what are the other contributing factors? Ace retailers are simply amazing. In the face of unprecedented and ongoing supply chain disruptions, labor shortages and ever-changing pandemic challenges, Ace retailers were able to rack up an impressive two-year stack of 46 percent growth through the second quarter. The two product categories we didn’t repeat the massive demand spikes from 2020 were: personal protective equipment and cleaning products. However, we continue to see a strong performance in what Ace declares our “Famous Four categories”—power equipment/power tools, BBQ grills, paint, and home preservation. These four product categories delivered impressive positive comps once again in Q2. www.TheHardwareConnection.com
Certainly, many factors from the marketplace contributed to the continued growth; the most encouraging for the future is the “stickiness” from the 6 million new customers who chose their local Ace Hardware during the pandemic. A year later, they are demonstrating their loyalty with several repeat visits. Our three-part formula is simple and continues to drive results for our 4,700 locally owned Ace stores across the country: focus on high-quality brands, unrivaled personal service and the ultimate in convenience. Our Ace stores are local and part of their communities; they provide the trusted voice and products consumers desire. Ace is benefitting from the widespread consumer behavior of beautifying their homes as a result of spending more time there with family and friends. Additionally, consumers need products to preserve and maintain their home, inside and out—this is also an area where Ace excels. THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 59
Wholesaling
3. 2021 continues to be a challenging year for the industry’s supply 2. E-commerce capability, chain. What are some of the steps BOPIS and curbside pickup you have taken to address this service have all taken on and when do you anticipate all of increased importance durAce’s distribution centers being ing the pandemic. How ready back to normal with fulfillment? was Ace for these challenges, In my 30 years of working in hardware how have you stepped up and home improvement, nothing has your efforts in these areas come close to the supply chain chaland how have Ace retaillenges we’ve faced the past 18 months. ers embraced these retail We believed the plethora of challenges programs? impeding the flow of product in 2020 Frankly, yes, the pandemic served would be short-term. But the suppliers as a swift kick in the pants for Ace. can’t catch-up; the barrage of challenges While we were already well on our are expansive—labor interruptions, staffway with a host of digital and e-commerce improvement projects, the pan- ing shortage, natural disasters, raw material and component deficiencies, shipping demic was a catalyst to move faster. challenges, excessive container fees with We made a bold statement to our way too few shipping containers availretailers and allocated the resources able, manufacturing delays, shortage of to deliver this bold claim: deliver five years of digital transformation, in just drivers, just to name a few. The pain is compounded with the continued record five months—we called this initiative demand. The manufacturers can’t catch Operation ACE IT. up. The only way I can summarize the We moved at a breakneck pace to situation is that it’s been a sustained and enable three main phases of our digisteady “perfect storm” for poor fill rates. tal strategy. Phase 1: Fast Fixes (i.e. Now allow me to pivot—there is an order tracking and cancellation, and incredibly bright side. While the panAce Rewards integration), Phase 2: demic has been unbelievably painful for Game Changers (i.e. pickup process many, it has driven a once-in-a-lifetime, and mobile consumer app) and Phase generational growth impact for several 3: Transformation (i.e. mobile help and last-mile white-glove service). Our mar- thousand Ace retailers across the country. Our locally owned Ace stores have keting, digital and technology teams worked tirelessly to bring to market over captured growth that has changed their 660 enhancements that provided opera- business. As a result, our commitment has been to “Give No Ground” and tional ease for our stores and the ultimate in convenience for our consumers. not give the gains back. Of course, to 60 ■ THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
www.TheHardwareConnection.com
substantiate that promise, we made the required investment in our supply chain. This investment ranged from unprecedented inventory, dramatically increased distribution space, additional headcount to keep the product moving and increased wages to attract and retain talent. We have spared no expense in our effort to keep product flowing. In terms of “when” the supply chain will return to a more normalized state, I shudder to predict. Through all of this, predictions have proven to be a fool’s errand. But, with clarity I can say: we will not see a meaningful recovery in 2021 or likely through Q1 of 2022. In the meantime, our efforts are focused—be relentless in our battle to source, secure and ship as much product as humanly possible to our Ace stores across the country. 4. Ace retailers and vendors are undoubtedly looking forward to returning to an in-person show in September. What will be the areas of emphasis? We are planning a full-scale, live convention in Orlando September 21–25. While many are retreating with event and convention cancellations, Ace chose to boldly move forward with a physical convention because we believed quite strongly that our retailers want to come together, connect and conduct physical work at a physical convention—just like they’ve been doing in their stores for 18 months. Our plan is clear: host a safe and energizing event that provides our www.TheHardwareConnection.com
shareholders, customers and vendors a world-class venue to effectively plan their business, take advantage of margin-building buying opportunities, train their associates and network with their peers. We continue to closely monitor all of the safety protocols regarding COVID-19. Our convention team is hard at work putting procedures in place to conduct as safe and healthy a show as possible for all. 5. What major initiatives are on tap for Ace in the second half of 2021? The most paramount is that we will continue to battle the supply chain challenges. Our retailers rely on Ace to be their “best wholesale supplier” above all else. As such, this remains our greatest focus as an organization. Further, we will continue our persistent and determined focus on a few strategic imperatives which hit squarely on the tenets of our consumer value proposition: (i) Quality, offer high quality, differentiated and locally relevant brands and products; (ii) Convenience, offer superior geographic proximity (4,700 U.S. stores) and a frictionless shopping experience; and (iii) Service, our red-vested heroes and their irrational pursuit of providing amazing, helpful customer service. We are fortunate and grateful for the incredible momentum generated by a decade of record results on our side. And we are ever optimistic in knowing that we are just getting started. The future is extremely bright for Ace Hardware. n THe HARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 61
wholesaling
By Chris Jensen
Orgill Unveils new DistribUtiOn Center
O
rgill welcomed hundreds of customers, vendors and local dignitaries to Rome, N.Y., in late July to celebrate, tour and take part in the official ribboncutting ceremony marking the grand opening of its newest distribution center. “We enjoyed the opportunity to have so many of our customers and vendor partners on hand so they could get a firsthand look at the Rome DC, see the investments we are making in our distribution network and have the opportunity to meet our team,” says Boyden Moore, Orgill president and CEO. “This milestone in our growth is only possible because of our customers’ continued growth and our vendor partners’ continued support.” During the two-day event, Orgill offered guests tours of the new 780,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility, hosted a vendor meeting and invited guests to a reception and dinner to thank them for their support. “We thought it would be nice to combine the grand opening with a bit of a celebration. It’s been such a long time since we’ve had so many of our customers
62 ■ The hARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
Boyden Moore (Orgill President/CEO), Randy Williams (Executive VP of Distribution) and the Rome management staff join Mark Scanlon (VP of Northeast Distribution) as he cuts the ribbon at the Orgill Rome distribution center.
and vendors together in one place,” says Greg Stine, Orgill’s executive vice president of marketing and communications. “I think we also need to recognize our team who made this opening happen. They did a fantastic job. We broke ground here in April right when the pandemic started and there was also incredibly high demand for home improvement products that was really stressing the entire distribution network. So, we challenged everyone working on this project and asked if there was any way we could get it done faster than our original schedule, and everyone answered the call,” adds Moore. In fact, Orgill’s Rome DC was completed faster than any other facility in the company’s modern history. And while those present for the grand opening might not have gotten to witness how the distribution center came together, they were clearly impressed with the end results. “It was very impressive,” says Jacob Buckingham of Bucks & Bolts www.ThehardwareConnection.com
Hardware in Blossvale, N.Y., after getting a sneak peek at the new location. “You could see a lot of the thought that was put into everything and the way it was designed and put together to create efficiencies. Just looking at features like the way they used the narrow aisles between the racking to get even more product in the space shows how they thought through every detail.” Chad Hirschey of Buckingham Hardware in Croghan, N.Y., remarks, “It was obvious as they walked us through everything that they were taking all these years of distribution knowledge and everything they had learned and were designing this facility to use all those insights into how it functions,” he says. The Rome site is Orgill’s eighth distribution center, joining existing facilities in Tifton, Ga.; Inwood, W.Va.; Sikeston, Mo.; Kilgore, Texas; Post Falls, Idaho; Hurricane, Utah; and London, Ontario. This facility effectively doubles Orgill’s distribution capacity within the region and will serve customers throughout New York, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island and northeastern Pennsylvania. Among the local and regional officials on hand for the ceremony were: New York State Lieutenant Governor (now Governor) Kathy Hochul; Rome Mayor Jackie Izzo; Shawna Papale from Mohawk Valley EDGE; and John Calabrese from the Rome Chamber of Commerce. Mark Scanlon, Orgill’s vice president of Northeast distribution, says the facility www.ThehardwareConnection.com
During the two-day event, Orgill offered guests tours of the new 780,000-squarefoot, state-of-the-art facility.
and its team will play an integral role in helping improve Orgill’s entire distribution network capacity. “When you combine the added capacity that Rome brings to our distribution network, the leading-edge best practices we built into the DC and the highcaliber team members we have brought in, the bottom line is that Orgill will be better able to serve its customers,” he says. There will be at least one “first” for Orgill, with the distributor creating a new role for tech support at the facility, according to Randy Williams, Orgill’s executive vice president of distribution. “This role is new to our company but so important in our overall operations,” Williams says. “They will ensure that the facility finds ways to use technology to enhance the overall operations and interactions with customers. The creation of this position is an important step for us as we continue to look for ways we can harness technology through all aspects of our operation to create efficiencies, improve customer service and better fulfill our mission.” Other innovations in distribution technology and design that Orgill showcased during the grand opening ceremony included the latest in voice picking systems, a space-maximizing The hARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 63
Boyden Moore outlines how orgill overcoMes challenging conditions Boyden Moore presenting to vendor partners at Orgill’s new Rome, N.Y., distribution center.
very-narrow aisle (VNA) layout and a new, multi-tiered conveyor system. All of these features are designed to create efficiencies for the distribution team and ultimately reduce friction in receiving, picking and fulfilling customer orders, according to Williams. “Technology, innovation and capacity are all factors that drive our distribution efficiencies at a facility like Rome, but ultimately, all of these investments are designed to help us better serve our customers and help them make their businesses more successful,” Williams says. The opening of the Rome distribution center is just the latest step in Orgill’s commitment to expand and enhance its distribution capabilities to stay ahead of customer demand. In March, Orgill announced plans to nearly double the size of its distribution center in Hurricane, Utah. The plans in Hurricane call for the addition of more than 425,000 square feet of under-roof storage at the facility as well as several projects designed to improve workflow. “Effective and efficient distribution of products is at the heart of what we do and it is core to how we deliver on our mission to help our customers be successful,” Moore says. 64 ■ The hARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
As the hardware industry continues to work through the challenges of a global pandemic, extraordinary demand for home improvement products and evolving supply chain issues, Orgill remains focused on its mission to help its customers be successful, according to President and CEO Boyden Moore. Orgill’s online buying event kicked off August 16 and ran through August 27, and Moore provided an update on the company, expectations for the rest of this year and beyond, and how Orgill is building for the future. “We continue to work with you through the most challenging conditions that I think any of us have seen. I’m sure that you are as weary as we are of the continued challenge of the pandemic and keeping our teams and customers safe. As essential businesses, we worked together with you through what we thought would be the worst of the pandemic last year, only to see a discouraging new surge in cases over the past several weeks. This recent surge both in the U.S. and globally has slowed supply chain recovery efforts in some cases as manufacturers, shippers, and ports manage through absenteeism due to increases in COVID cases,” Moore said. He continued, “The challenge with workers isn’t just due to the increase in COVID, however. The unemployment rate at 5.4 percent in July is at the lowest www.ThehardwareConnection.com
Orgill President and CEO Boyden Moore gave an online presentation to kick off the company’s online buying event.
it. Our number one priority is to restore the dependability of our supply chain as quickly as we can. We invested years earning your trust through dependability and a very consistently high service level. During the past 18 months, we’ve not met our standards and we are working hard rate since March of last year when the to reestablish them.” pandemic began. Retaining your best To read more on Moore’s presentation, employees and recruiting new employees to your team has perhaps never been click here. Orgill recently drew a close to its 2021 more difficult and important. Fall Online Buying Event, where Orgill’s “Additionally, we’re seeing inflaretail customers were able to connect tion impact prices at the highest rate of with hundreds of the industry’s leading change we’ve seen in a very long time. We typically have about 18,000 to 19,000 vendors, take advantage of promotional buying opportunities and learn about the items with price changes in a year’s distributor’s complete program and sertime. We’ve seen almost four times that amount so far this year and most of those vice offering. By all measures, Orgill’s Fall Online changes have been increases. While we Buying Event was a success. And, in an are careful to ensure any increases we era marked by uncertainty, Moore says accept are the same as we are seeing in the market and keep you competitive, it’s that these events are producing consistent results across the board. a lot more work this year to stay up to “We wrapped up our third Online date on your pricing and gross margin Buying Event and I think we have management,” Moore said. established a cadence for our customMoore listed four primary challenges ers and our vendors where they know faced by their retail customers: what to expect and understand how to • Safely operating and caring for your get the most out of this environment,” team through the pandemic; • Getting the products you need to take Moore says. “If you look at the sales figures from each of these events, they care of your customers; • Finding and keeping good employees; all nearly mirror each other. That tells us that our customers are engaging • Managing pricing in an environment with vendors and that they are able to of accelerated change. utilize the events to effectively buy for He added, “I want you to know that we understand these challenges that you their businesses.” To read more about Orgill’s Fall Online face and we’re working as hard as we Buying Event, click here. can to help you—as you work through www.ThehardwareConnection.com
The hARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 65
Our 64K+ Readers Aren’t the Only Ones Who Have Noticed Our Exceptional Editorial
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April 2021 3 Vol. 13, No.
l lEADER Ry’S DIGITA THE INDUST
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Delivery Service ipment Best Practices for door Power Equ on Grills and Out Category Reports
Award-Winning Editorial That Connects with Retailers! The Hardware Connection has won 14 awards for editorial excellence in the past eight years including the following: • 2021 FOLIO Eddie Award Finalist for Best Profile • 2021 FOLIO Eddie Award Finalist for Best Single Article • 2020 FOLIO Special Recognition Award for Overall Editorial Excellence. • 2020 FOLIO Eddie Award for Best Single Article.
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caTeGOrY rePOrT
LAWN & GARDEN TRENDS Sales of Insecticides (Independent Hardware Channel) 12 Months % Change vs. Year Ago Insecticides: Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.8% Insecticides: Dollars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2.9% Source: Epicor’s Industry Data Analytics
Unit Sales Breakdown for Insecticides Total of 1,150 Items with Sales Total Category Top 5 Items % of Unit Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22.2% Top 10 Items % of Unit Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31.3% Top 20 Items % of Unit Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44.6% Top 30 Items % of Unit Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53.3% Source: Epicor’s Industry Data Analytics
Seasonality 225 of Sales of Insecticides (Index=100) 225 180 135
218 170 180
0
90 45July
2020
180
73
70
90 45
124
118
135
156
33
Aug. Sept. Oct. 2020 2020 2020
19
17
22
Nov. Dec. Jan. Feb. March Apr. May June 2020 2020 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021 2021
0 Industry Data Analytics Source: Epicor’s
Insecticides Share of Sales (Latest 12 Months) Multi-Purpose Insect RTU Outdoor Contact Killer Multi-Purpose 0 Insect Granules 6 Multi-Purpose Insect Concentrate Grub Granules Outdoor Ant Baits Fire Ant Bait Fire Ant Dust Fire Ant Granules Grub Concentrates Other
28.0% 18.1% 12
18
2412.3% 10.6% 10.0%
30
6.3% 5.0% 1.7% 1.3% 0.4% 6.5%
0
6
12
www.ThehardwareConnection.com
18
24
30
Source: Epicor’s Industry Data Analytics
Epicor’s Industry Data Analytics tracking information is based on sales from a representative sample of hardlines retailers located throughout the U.S. For more information, call 512278-5800 or email epicorindustryanalytics@epicor.com.
The hARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021 ■ 67
Lawn & Garden MerchandisinG : Upper left: Ashland General Hardware in Ashland, Ore. Middle left: Nelson Agri-Center True Value in Viroqua, Wis. Lower left: Hagan Ace Hardware in Orange Park, Fla. Upper right: Sullivan Hardware & Garden in Indianapolis. Above lower left: Zoller Hardware in Cashiers, N.C. Above lower right: DeJay’s Ace Hardware in Chicago.
68 ■ The hARDWARe Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
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Profiles of Beacon Award Winners Q&A With Ace Exec John Surane
Bomgaars
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AN INSIDE LOOK
HALLOWEEN
COSTUMES
T
he Hardware Connection provides a pictorial look at Halloween costumes worn by hardware store employees. Send pictures to chris@thehardwareconnection.com.
Aggie Ace, Davis, Calif.
Hillcrest Ace Hardware, San Diego
Dazey’s Supply, Redway, Calif.
C&D Hardware, Houston
Carr Hardware, Pittsboro, Mass.
Cole Hardware, San Francisco
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Liberty Trading Post, Liberty, N.Y.
J.P. Hart Lumber, Houston
Merrilees Hardware & Supply, Cleves, OH
Warner Robins Building Supply, Warner Robins, Ga.
Zoller Hardware, Cashiers, N.C. Marine Supply and Hardware, Anacortes, Wash.
Nelson Agri-Center, Viroqua, Wis.
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Shell Lumber & Hardware, Miami
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IN THE NEWS NEW STORES: •
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• Cappel’s Ace Hardware opened its third location in Indianola, Iowa. Arlington Coal & Lumber has acquired Friend Lumber Co., with • Interstate + Lakeland Lumber opened a new showroom in Shrub two locations in New Hampshire Oak, N.Y. and Massachusetts. • Red Bluff Ace Hardware opened Dennis and Liz Driscoll opened in Red Bluff, Calif. their second Driscoll’s Home • Century Club member R.W. Center in Old Forge, Pa. Shattuck Ace Hardware has Bill and Renae Jablonowski acquired Wanamaker Hardware in acquired Mr. C’s Hardware in Arlington Heights, Mass., which was Hurst, Texas, and reopened as their founded in 1923. fourth Jabo’s Ace Hardware. Westlake Ace Hardware opened a • Busy Beaver opened a new, larger store in Mt. Pleasant, Pa. new store in Derby, Kan. Kodiak Building Partners acquired • Elder’s Ace Hardware has opened a new store in East Ricci Lumber in Portsmouth, N.H. Nashville, Tenn. Robert Nelson has opened his third store, Elk Grove Ace Hardware in • Century Club member Shaw/ Stewart Lumber acquired another Elk Grove, Calif. Minneapolis-based Century Club E&H Ace Hardware acquired retailer, Kruse Lumber. Tignor’s Hometown Hardware and its plumbing and handyman ser- • Bassil’s Ace Hardware in Metairie, La., is now owned by the Skaer family. vices in Wooster, Ohio. Tom Dwier and Keli Lynch are the • Riverhead Building Supply has acquired Mozzone Lumber Co. in new owners of Tuckerton Lumber Taunton, Mass. Company in Surf City, N.J. • R.P. Lumber Co. has acquired Nation’s Best Holdings has Malcom Lumber’s locations in acquired Hipp Modern Builders Grinnell and Oskaloosa, Iowa. Supply in Mountain View, Ark., and • Jessica and James Gilbert Panhandle Lumber & Supply in have acquired White Auto and Bonifay, Fla. Home in Baird, Texas, from Mike US LBM has acquired North Konczak. Georgia Building Supply and • Parkside True Value Hardware Junior’s Building Materials in Kenosha, Wis., was purchased by in Georgia and Massey Builders JC Licht. Supply in Virginia.
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KUDOS TO: • Paul’s Ace Hardware in Scottsdale, Ariz., is marking its 65th anniversary. • Root Lumber Co. in Kenton, Ohio, is celebrating its 100th anniversary. • Rucker Lumber Co. in Boston, N.Y., is marking its 100th anniversary. • Joanne Altshul is celebrating the PEOPLE ON THE MOVE: 65th anniversary of DeJay’s Ace • Do it Best Corp. has hired Steven Hardware in Chicago. May as building materials product • Westlake Ace Hardware partsales manager and Jennifer Lehrman nered with The Salvation Army for as marketing programs manager, and the ninth year to provide nearly promoted Alex Fregoso to associ7,300 box fans to those in need. ate building materials trader and • The Manufacturing Institute— Christanne Bauer-Deitering to the workforce development and new member conversion manager. education partner of the National • Mike McGinnes has been proAssociation of Manufacturers— moted to president of Arrow has recognized Trasa Coffil, busiLumber & Hardware. ness process analyst at STIHL Inc., with a STEP Ahead Award. WHOLESALERS IN THE NEWS: • Dave Warren is celebrating the • Ace Hardware Corp. reported record 30th anniversary of Dave’s Ace Q2 2021 revenues of $2.5 billion, Hardware in Milton, Wis. up 8.2% from last year. Net income • The General Store in Spokane, was $116.0 million for Q2 2021, a Wash., is celebrating its 75th annidecrease of $22.9 million from 2020. versary and announced plans to U.S. same-store sales rose 1.2% in Q2, open its third store early next year. with a 7.1% increase in average ticket • Jim Potocki is retiring at WD-40 offset by a 5.5% decline in transactions. after 21 years as director of U.S. sales. Ace International Holdings saw rev• Aubuchon Hardware was voted enue increase $24.2 million, while Ace Best Home Improvement Store for Wholesale Holdings was up $18.3 Maine Rockland/Camden/Lincolnville. million in Q2. Retail revenues from • STIHL Inc. is supporting recovery Ace Retail Holdings increased 3.9% efforts in two Pacific Northwest to $248.7 million in Q2. Ace added state parks with the planting of 55 new domestic and 61 international 2,021 trees this year in California stores and canceled 15 stores in Q2, and Oregon. leaving a store count of 5,550. www.TheHardwareConnection.com
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• House-Hasson Hardware successin Mesick, Mich., died August 13 at fully held its first in-person dealer the age of 71. market in 18 months from August • James “Jim” Jenkins, founder 12-14 in Sevierville, Tenn. of Bannister and Jenkins • Ace Hardware Corp. announced Hardware Co., former president plans to build a new Retail Support of the International Federation of Center in Visalia, Calif., that will occupy Ironmongers Associations in Canada more than 1 million square feet and be and a World War II veteran, died July fully operational in early 2023. 27 at the age of 96. • Kermit Williamson Jr., owner of Sampson Farmers True Value OTHER NEWS: Hardware in Clinton, N.C., passed • Pony Jorgensen has introduced away August 5 at the age of 68. new user-focused features to its He was a M.H. (Jack) Brock Award website. Recipient, a Greater Clinton Chamber • Building Industry Partners (BIP) of Commerce Outstanding Citizen has formed a new regional lumber Award winner and a recipient of the and building materials pro dealer Order of the Long Leaf Pine—North organization, Southeast LBM Carolina’s highest honor for signifiInterests, in partnership with induscant contributions to the state. try veteran Roger Farmer. They • William “W.A.” Bissette, 82, forkicked off the new platform with mer owner of Highland Lumber in the acquisition of Warner Robins Fayetteville, N.C., passed away July 5. Building Supply Co., Henson Building Materials and Mountain • Leo Lawton Anderson Jr., president of Pine Creek Lumber in Building Supply. Hindsville, Ark., and Anderson • Gina Schaefer and Marc Lumber in Siloam Springs, Ark., Friedman, owners of A Few Cool passed away July 15 at the age of 83. Hardware Stores (AFCHS), a group • Charlie Small, former owner of of 13 Ace Hardware stores located Partridge Lumber Co. in Richland, in the DC and Baltimore metro areas, Ind., and a World War II Army veteran, announced their plan to sell 100% passed away July 11 at the age of 96. ownership of their company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) over the next several years. FOR THE FULL STORY: • Channellock launched a new tool aimed at getting young people interIN MEMORY: ested in entering a skilled trades field: • Bruce Howell, former owner of Trades 101. Joseph’s True Value Hardware 74 ■ THE HARDWARE Connection ■ Sept/Oct 2021
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UPCOMING EVENTS SEPTEMBER Ace Hardware Fall Convention September 21-23, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla. Bostwick-Braun Virtual Dealer Market September 14-15 Do it Best Corp. Fall Market September 27-30, Indiana Convention Center, Indianapolis
Shanghai International Hardware Show October 20-22, National Exhibition & Convention Center, Shanghai, China
Emery Jensen Edge September 24-25, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla.
STAFDA October 24-26, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, Fla.
Hardware Forum Italy September 22-23, Fieramilanocity, Milan, Italy
Taiwan Hardware Show October 13-15, Taichung International Exhibition Center, Taiwan
Home Hardware Virtual Fall Market September 27-October 4
NOVEMBER
True Value Fall Reunion September 30-October 2, McCormick Place, Chicago Wallace Hardware Online Buying Event September 13-October 11
OCTOBER
Distribution America and PRO Group Executive Planning Conference November 16-18, Sawgrass Marriott Golf Resort, Ponte Vedra, Fla. Epicor Insights LBM User Conference November 15-17, San Antonio
NAWLA Traders Market China International Hardware Show November 10-12, Kentucky International October 8-10, Shanghai, China Convention Center, Louisville, Ky. GIE + EXPO October 20-22, Kentucky Exposition JANUARY 2022 Center, Louisville, Ky. House-Hasson Hardware Winter National Hardware Show Dealer Market October 21-23, Las Vegas Convention January 6-8, Opryland Convention Center, Las Vegas, Nev Center, Nashville, Tenn.
For a complete listing of calendar dates, click here. www.TheHardwareConnection.com
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e h t d n i h e B Numbers 99.7
The NFIB Small Business Optimism Index for July, down 2.8 points, according to the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB).
38%
Seasonally adjusted percentage of U.S. small business owners who reported raising compensation in July, down one point from June’s record 38%, according to the NFIB.
49%
Percentage of U.S. small business owners who reported job openings that could not be filled in July—a 48-year record and above the historical average of 22%, according to the NFIB’s Percentage of U.S. construction firms monthly jobs report. who reported few or no qualified candidates for open positions, according to the NFIB’s July Jobs Report.
66%
93%
Percentage of U.S. small business owners who were hiring or trying to hire in July and reported few or no qualified Percentage of U.S. small businesses applicants, according to the NFIB. who reported labor quality was their top business problem, along with 9% who reported labor costs, according to the NFIB’s July Jobs Report.
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26%
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