'Built from Scratch' at Zoller Hardware
It’s our famous line: “It takes a little more to be an All Star.”
And sometimes, it takes an unusual path.
Consider the case of our on-the-cover retailer, Glenn Ubertino, who along with his wife, Kim, owns the oozing-in-charm Zoller Hardware in Cashiers, North Carolina. Zoller is one of our 50 STIHL Hardware All Stars—one from each state.
When asked to describe the store, Glenn began with the phrase “built from scratch,” which happens to be the book title of the authoritative history of The Home Depot, where Glenn worked for 20 years in merchandising roles of steadily increasing responsibility.
Cashiers is a mere three-hour drive from Atlanta, but the store is a world removed from a big box warehouse format. Zoller Hardware is nestled among the white pine forest atop the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau. Its log-cabin exterior is home to mountain-themed items and Amish-made furniture, along with hardware staples. Inside, you can warm up to a cozy stone fireplace. “And we’ve got popcorn popping on the weekends,” Ubertino said.
And behind that mountain-cabin vibe are lessons learned from one of the most successful businesses in all of retail.
“I learned from the best in the business having spent 20 years with The Home Depot,” Glenn said. “I worked alongside retail legends such as Bernie Marcus, Arthur Blank and Pat Farrah, who inspired me in many ways.”
Marcus himself, who had a vacation home one town over from Cashiers, paid a visit to Zoller Hardware about 10 years ago.
“What a great guy,” Ubertino said. “One of the funniest people I’ve ever met. But he could also be very serious. He looked around and probably thought I had too much inventory, I’m sure. But he loved the brands that we had in the store. He spent over an hour with me and loved the store—and the merchandising.”
Before his career as a merchant with the world’s largest home improvement retailer (and later as an Office Depot senior director of merchandising), Ubertino grew up in a mom and pop. Along with mentors like Marcus, Blank and Farrah, Ubertino points to his mother, Maryellen, as an inspiration.
“My mom would often tell me that God gave me two ears and one mouth for a reason,” he said, describing Maryellen as the most important and influential person in his life. “I have always been mindful of this and I do listen more than I speak.”
Listening to customers led to the creation of the Ubertino’s ancillary retail businesses: the Bird Barn and the Cashiers Kitchen Company.
Many former Home Depot managers, leaders and executives have pursued retail careers beyond the orange aprons. For instance, Hal Lawton is now CEO of Tractor Supply, and Tom Taylor is CEO of Floor & Decor. But not many have gone on to own their own hardware store.
“That’s correct,” Ubertino said. “For one thing, it’s a lot of work. But for me, my parents owned a couple of True Value hardware stores back in the day. And my dad took me to the hardware shows back when I was just a kid. And, wow, I always thought it was cool.”
Ubertino’s career path took him from Home Depot to Office Depot, where he worked for six years. But pens, paper and manila envelopes just didn’t provide the same spark that he felt with home improvement. And when a friend moved to Cashiers, a chain of events kicked off that eventually led to meeting Jim Zoller, and buying Zollers Hardware from him.
“Zoller Hardware does a fantastic job at creating eye-catching and inviting spaces that fit the mountain setting of their market,” says Do it Best Territory Sales Manager Drew Banyas.
The Ubertinos credit the people in the aisles.
“We have the best people working for us—employees that have been with Zoller for 10, 15 and 25 years,” Glenn said. “We support them and provide them with the resources they need to succeed.”
