All Star Review: Maine, D.C. and Mass.
t takes a little more to be an All Star.
To provide the best customer service; fit perfectly with your community; find the niche categories for your locals; and have the people and personalities to create that certain something extra.
This year’s class of STIHL Hardware All Stars marks the 14th year of the program, in which editors recognize one business from each of the 50 states.
We visited with, and talked to, stores and dealer markets, distributors and suppliers, even studied customer reviews on social media to help determine the honorees. And that’s how we found our latest elite-level hardware and building supply dealers.
• MAINE
Randolph Do it Best Hardware
Not wanting anyone to have to drive far for supplies, Rob Gardiner saw an opportunity to reestablish a hardware business in Randolph, not far from his first store. Rob made sure every product category was as complete as possible. Their 100-foot selection of STIHL, with in-house MasterWrench STIHL repair techs, attract the pros. He scooped up goods from greenhouses that were closing to make Randolph a go-to for plants and garden tools. Plus, Rob and his wife Roxann prioritize giving back, supporting the local food bank and school programs.
• WASHINGTON DC
Frager’s Ace Hardware
Founded in 1920, this iconic employee-owned Capitol Hill outpost has served DC customers for more than a century. Politicians, pundits and federal employees make up much of the clientele and you might even see someone like Pete Buttigieg wandering the aisles. The store is known for a 3,000 square foot lush outdoor garden center and a beautiful 500 square foot plant boutique called Foliage by Frager’s. Last year, Charlie Hawkins was named store manager. This is notable. Charlie started in the store a decade ago as a clerk in the Just Ask Rental department and now runs the operation.
• MASSACHUSETTS
Mid Cape Home Centers
The legacy began in 1895, when Captain Oscar C. Nickerson gave up command of the schooner Abel W. Parker and purchased what would later become Nickerson Lumber Company and eventually Mid-Cape Home Centers, an Orgill dealer. In 2012, the company was sold to local resident Jeff Plank. It was a moment to pay tribute to the company’s rise from its humble origins. From forklift operators and kitchen designers to hardware specialists and contractor sales agents, everyone who puts on a Mid-Cape shirt is invested in their fellow associates, and in every customer.
