Nation’s Best expands in Texas
Nation’s Best continues to expand its far-reaching footprint in Texas with the acquisition of Big Bear Hardware in La Vernia, its 59th location nationwide.
“This is an ideal south-central location just outside of San Antonio,” said Chris Miller, president & CEO of Nation’s Best. “As we continue to strengthen our presence in Texas, Big Bear Hardware is a great fit within the Nation’s Best family. The previous owners had already built a solid market presence as a hardlines leader in the community. And with the explosive population growth in the area, we see tremendous upside in appealing even more to pros and contractors.”
Big Bear Hardware is a multi-generational hardware store, most recently purchased by the Salinas family in 2016. With the Salinases’ interest in stepping away from the store to focus on their other businesses, they were looking for someone who would value the team they’d built and ensure the long-term viability of the community’s primary home improvement store.
Nation’s Best Holdings, a member-owner of Fort Wayne, Indiana-based Do it Best, was founded in 2019. The company says it is committed to identifying and acquiring best-in-class independent home improvement stores to ensure their continued relevance as vibrant community resources.
“Monica Salinas and her father Arthur saw the value in partnering with Nation’s Best as a way to not only ensure the store would continue to serve the community, but to grow as it grows,” adds Miller. “The best practices and efficiencies we bring through our network of stores will continue to make them better, which will be great for their customers and their store.”
As part of Nation’s Best’s strategy, Big Bear Hardware will maintain operations under their existing name with its team overseeing company operations alongside Nation’s Best, which will provide the strategic and financial support necessary to drive optimal growth and profitability. Nation’s Best will also lease back the property from the owners, an approach that they’ve found favorable to both parties.
