BRANCHING OUT Jarvis Hardware Gives Community a New Store to Support

When Johnny and Candi Graves decided to take the plunge and open a second store, they were placing their faith in House Hasson Wholesale Hardware as much as in themselves. It was their House Hasson Wholesale Hardware sales rep, Gary Keck, who had told them about the opportunity and convinced them it was a risk worth taking.
So the Graves went ahead and opened Jarvis Hardware in Montgomery, W. Va., this past November. The town that had once been home to three hardware stores was in need of an entrepreneur willing to take another chance, since all three stores had come and gone. “We just felt the area needed a hardware store,” Johnny says.
A few years ago when Candi’s father was ready to retire after 27 years of operating Jarvis Hardware in nearby Gauley Bridge, W. Va., Johnny and Candi had agreed to take over the business. But Johnny had kept his factory job to make sure they kept a steady income. The new store meant he could quit his factory job and devote his full attention to making their hardware business a success.
Although a hardware store had gone out of business in the Montgomery location, Keck found the building was available for a reasonable rent and thought it would make a good opportunity for the Graves to expand to a second location, since it was just 10 miles from their other store in Gauley Bridge. “I felt strongly that Johnny and Candi could make it work,” he says.
So far, so good, as they see new customers come into the store every day. “We have been very pleased with the response we’ve gotten so far. It’s been well-received by customers,” says Johnny, who adds that they even had customers coming in before they were officially open, so they knew they were meeting a need.
House Hasson Wholesale Hardware helped them plan the assortment and did the complete store set, a process that went very smoothly, according to the Graves. “Gary has been a big help. He’s always taken care of our needs,” Johnny adds.
They continue to tweak their product selection a little as they see what products customers are seeking. Plumbing and electrical have emerged as the top-selling categories. “We hope paint can be a draw, since we put in a full line of Gray Seal paint,” says Candi.
For now, they are only using one half of the building covering about 2,000 square feet of salesfloor space plus a small warehouse. “We hope to grow into the other side eventually, but right now we’re out of room,” says Johnny, who would like the additional space to expand into pool chemicals and lumber.
Sporting goods and bait are big sellers at Gauley Bridge, and there is an expectation those categories can develop into strong traffic-building niches at the new store. A convenience assortment of hunting and fishing equipment is currently in the inventory.
The Gauley Bridge store has a 7,000-square-foot salesfloor. The Graves have been able to maintain sales in that store despite the down economy, so they take that as a positive sign for business out of the Montgomery store.
The new location is on a heavily traveled road, so that’s another plus.”We’re getting ready to do some advertising to let more customers know we’re here,” says Candi, who spends most of her time at the Gauley Bridge location.
House Hasson Wholesale Hardware has also helped them with pricing, and they have heard lot of good comments about how reasonable their prices are. “The nearest big boxes are 30 miles away, although the high price of gas means customers are less likely to get in their car and drive to buy what they need if they can get it from us,” Johnny says
They enjoy going to the markets, finding them a beneficial way to improve their business from attending the seminars, interacting with other dealers and taking advantage of bargains.
“We also like using the CD Toolbox. It’s very easy to use,” Johnny says.
Looking back at all the hard work it took to get the store open, the Graves say they are glad they found a reliable partner in House Hasson Wholesale Hardware. “Beverly Perry and everyone in customer service have been great. You can call up and they always take care of any problem you have,” Johnny says. It’s easy to do business with House Hasson Wholesale Hardware.”

The largest independent regional hardware distributor in America. House Hasson Wholesale Hardware is a full service, exclusively wholesale, hardware distributor.

http://www.househasson.com

The Hardware Ladies Crescent Springs Hardware Finds Success is All in the Family With House Hasson Wholesale Hardware

If you’ve been to a House Hasson Wholesale Hardware Dealer Market, then you probably know about the four hardware ladies who dress in matching costumes. “We like to have fun at the markets,” explains Liz Hall, who is the one who comes up with the last-minute ideas for costumes that relate to the market theme. Whether they are all decked out in baseball uniforms or cowboy hats, they are hard to miss.

            Hall is one of three generations of family members who work at Crescent Springs Hardware in Crescent Springs, Ky., a business that was started by her grandparents in 1972.

Rose Wilson is the matriarch of the business that she operated with her husband, Bill, until he passed away in 2004.

            Wilson has kept the store going with a lot of help from four kids and three grandkids who are active in the business. She handles receivables but is also a fixture on the salesfloor, taking time to chat with long-time customers. Her sons Mark and Michael (known as Bubba) work in a related operation that sells and repairs commercial mowers in a separate building that shares a parking lot with the hardware store. Daughter Cathy Croley handles screen and lamp repair, while daughter Pam Holstein oversees the sales and service of residential outdoor power equipment and the daily paperwork. Hall can generally be found helping customers in the lawn and garden department or checking in outdoor power equipment.

            The main salesfloor is handled by Wilson, Croley, Holstein, Hall and a female employee, which means customers are most likely to be waited on by a woman. “Some of our customers are impressed that five women work upfront. As women we aren’t afraid to get our hands dirty,” Hall says.

            Adds Croley, “It’s not a big deal that the store is run almost entirely by women. A lot of guys come in and say you gals really know your stuff. We still have the occasional guy come in and ask for a man to help them.”

            They all know how to provide expert service, which is why the store has so many loyal customers who are willing to pay a premium for that personal touch. “It’s very seldom that we don’t have what the customer wants,” Wilson says. “And we don’t get a lot of customers who say ‘I can get this somewhere else for less.’”

            By the same token, they maintain loyalty to House Hasson Wholesale Hardware because of the great service they get from the wholesaler. “Our salesman, Ray Langdon, is the best. He’s very dedicated,” Wilson says. “He helps us put away our order and even waits on customers. House Hasson Wholesale Hardware takes care of everything.”

            Adds Croley, “We deal a lot with House Hasson Wholesale Hardware’s customer service department. They’re awesome. It seems like we call them every day for something.”

            Croley notes that they have developed a unique niche selling, installing and repairing snowplows and salt spreaders. “It’s opened up another world for us. We don’t have to worry about competing with the big boxes on it and it gives us a way to keep our employees busy in the winter,” she says.

            On the retail side, outdoor power equipment is a huge business for them, both for sales and repair work. “Right now we have about 300 mowers that need to be repaired, but that’s actually low for us,” says Holstein, who adds that customers seem more inclined to fix their mowers these days than buy a new one.

            Holstein spent 18 years in a management role with a big company, but when they wanted her to transfer to California, she decided to return to the family business. That was 13 years ago. “I wanted to see family members, so that’s why I returned. We all get along so well,” she says.

            She put her organizational skills to work in the outdoor power equipment department, assigning people to the right roles and making sure there was a proper paper trail to keep track of jobs. Everything runs smoothly now.

            “We all have our niches in the business,” Croley points out. “This is all I’ve known since I was 13 and I consider myself lucky. I get to see my family members every day and we have a lot of fun working together.”      

            Hall started out doing warranties on power equipment and has been there 11 years. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I just fell in love with the business,” she says, pointing out that for awhile her great-grandmother was involved as the fourth generation of the family.

             Greeting every customer that comes in is what separates Crescent Springs Hardware from other retailers, according to Hall. “Customers come back time after time. To them, it’s priceless to be able to get in and out quickly,” she says.

Holstein is especially proud that they have never had to lay off people, even as the economy slowed down. “Taking care of our employees is important to us. We have a unique business and are very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish with it,” she says.

            With a Dealer Market coming up soon, you can be sure the ladies of Crescent Springs Hardware will be coming up with something special. “The markets are so important. We know we need to be smart with our buying to stay competitive and you learn so much,” says Croley. “Plus we have so much fun.”

One-Stop Shop for Discounts Big John’s Closeouts Emphasizes Trust with Customers

Mike Barnett has learned a few things about hardware retailing through the years, and the most important lesson is displayed prominently in a big sign outside his front entrance. The owner of Big John’s Closeouts makes sure customers at his new store in Mountain City, Tenn., know they are entering a business that will treat them fairly.

“We mention the purpose of the business on our sign outside. I want to give customers a place to shop with honesty and integrity,” he says. “It’s important to me to operate a business where customers feel good about coming through our door. We’re happy to help them.” To further reinforce the faith-based values that he follows, Barnett has posted a plaque near the service counter that lists the 10 Commandments from the Bible.

Customers seem to be receptive to Barnett’s message of trust, as the store is already doing brisk business despite being open less than two months. Each customer who walks in receives personalized attention, whether they are looking for a particular type of door or new flooring for their kitchen.

Big John’s sells everything you would expect to find in a home center from flooring, sinks and kitchen cabinets to doors, windows and siding. But it also sells all the core hardware categories such as paint, tools, electrical and plumbing, with additional products available via special order.

Barnett has discovered that even discount shoppers want to shop in an organized fashion, so Big John’s is not a mish-mash of bargains scattered around the floor like they were just loaded off the truck. It is set up like a traditional hardware store, with aisles, fixtures and well-merchandised endcaps.                            

            

“Mike really wanted to have a neat and clean store, so we helped him plan out how to present all the different categories,” explains Charlie Hunigan, his House Hasson Wholesale Hardware Distributor’sterritory manager. A full selection of Valspar paint is merchandised near the front, which helps demonstrate to female customers that the store can meet their needs.

           

“We had looked at Mountain City in the past but the timing wasn’t right,” says Barnett, who was apprehensive about opening a second store due to the economy. “But we negotiated a good lease agreement and our vendors really worked with us.”

            

Having a good supplier in House Hasson Wholesale Hardware Distributor also helped. “They have good products and good prices, and we’re very happy with them,” he says. “Charlie does a great job taking care of us, particularly on returns.”

            

Barnett also owns a Big John’s Closeouts store in Elizabethton, Tenn., that opened in 1997 and used to be part of a chain of Big John’s stores operated by Paty Lumber Co. When Paty sold the company to Pelican Building Center they closed all the Big John’s outlets except the one in Elizabethton. Barnett and Jerry Bowers were long-time employees of that store, and in 2001 they bought the business. Barnett later became the sole owner, but Bowers remains as his operations manager and also works closely with House Hasson Wholesale Hardware Distributor’s buyers and vendors to handle the important role of purchasing. After all, closeout inventory takes a little more legwork to secure than just reordering from the warehouse.

            

The rising price of gas makes customers shop closer to home, according to Barnett, who has the added advantage of being able to tout that his prices are below wholesale. He pays close attention to the big boxes’ pricing, because he cannot afford to be viewed as high-priced with his closeout format. “If we’re out of line with our prices, then we hear about it from our customers,” he says.

A special room near the front contains true closeouts—items marked to be moved at discounts up to 50 percent—and a bargain bin displays tools at rock-bottom prices. With merchandising and signage reinforcing the value message, it combines to send a strong inducement to budget-conscious shoppers who are looking to save a buck. Big John’s also promotes daily specials on its web sites, along with sample pricing galleries for categories such as roofing, siding, cabinetry, lighting and flooring.

About 70 percent of Big John’s inventory is overstocked or liquidated merchandise and the rest is blemished or transportation-damaged items. Barnett allows returns or provides store credit only on unblemished goods. He brought in some of his best-selling items from Elizabethton and stocks more electrical and specialty lumber in Mountain City. “We’re still building up our inventory,” he points out.

House Hasson Wholesale Hardware Distributor helped Big John’s hold a grand opening on April 23, with customers expressing appreciation that they now have a low-price, one-stop shop for home improvement products. The store’s location on a heavily traveled road means most people are aware it is there.

Additional exposure comes from word-of-mouth from vendors, who are delighted to have an outlet for their overstock merchandise.

Barnett has started dabbling in social media, but for now he’s focusing on keeping the website updated regularly. There are deals available, and he wants to make sure his customers look him up first. “We’re grateful for the response so far, and we look forward to serving the community for years to come,” he says.


House Hasson Wholesale Hardware