Hardware Store All-Stars: Nevada, Utah and Arizona

HCN congratulates the 50 hardware store, home center and farm & ranch retailers who made the annual HCN Hardware Store All-Star list.

Now in its third year, HCN's annual list of high performers recognizes hardware stores -- one from each state -- that are outstanding in their field. The complete list and analysis can be found in the September issue of HCN. Meanwhile, HCN Daily will work its way across the country with mini profiles, continuing this week with Nevada, Utah and Arizona.

Nevada: Home Hardware & Variety is the Boulder City area's requisite one-stop shop, famous for its extensive selection, owners (brothers Randy and Roger Tobler took over from their father, Herber Tobler, who was formerly the mayor of Boulder City) and resident bird, an African gray named Delzin who has its own Facebook page. Boasting 15,000 sq. ft. in addition to a 2,000-sq.-ft. building for feed and a nursery out back, the store has plenty of room for unique offerings like live animals, feed and hay, pet supplies, gourmet sodas, toys, fabric and scrapbooking supplies. Not to fret - plans are in the works for a walk-in petting zoo where children can encounter goats, chickens, rabbits and birds.



Utah: Sol Foods, Hardware and Camping is more than just a Springdale grocery store. The one-stop shop, located a stone's throw from Zion National Park, is more or less an organic food market, hardware store, camping victuals provider, or some sort of mix of the three, depending on your needs. It's the only full-service grocery store in Zion Canyon, and it ups the ante with gourmet specialty items, conventional groceries and gluten-free options. Also billed as Springdale's first hardware store, Sol Foods may be one of the only places in the country where customers can pick up artisanal cheeses and welding supplies. Other items on the more rugged side of the store include paint and plumbing supplies, landscaping tools, fasteners, drill bits, hand tools, camping gear, swimming pool chemicals and a rental center.

Arizona: Another prime example of a community cornerstone, Havasu Do it Best Hardware in Lake Havasu City has been around since before there were paved roads in town. Actually, it was one of the first businesses in the area when it was built in 1964. It was later purchased by Scott LeGrand and his father in 1979, and it has stayed in the family ever since, with Scott's wife and son handling their share of the operations today. It's an original fixture of the community with a willingness to change, and with an exhaustive expansion in 2012, the store now enjoys substantially increased sales and a better traffic flow. Did we mention there's a sandwich named in its honor at the deli down the street?

Later this week, HCN will highlight All Stars in Montana, Wyoming and Colorado. For the full state-by-state list of HCN Hardware Store All Stars, click here.