Golden Hammer for Hipp Modern Builders Supply
Hipp Modern Builders Supply of Mountain View, Ark., a fourth-generation family business in the Ozark foothills, has been named the 2014 Tools of the Trade Award winner by HCN.
The award will be presented during the Golden Hammer Awards ceremony during the National Hardware Show in Las Vegas May 6.
The Tools of the Trade Award annually recognizes a small business that captures the spirit of independent retailing and makes the most of technology, marketing and human resources. Past honorees include McDaniel’s Do it Best, Builders, and Price Hardware True Value.
Hipp operates locations in Mountain View and nearby Batesville, serving both DIYers and professional builders.
“We’ve been fortunate to build a loyal following in our markets, and our team works hard to keep that loyalty,” said Gentry Hipp, great-grandson of the company founder. “We also try very hard to stay ahead of the trends.”
The company has latched onto a successful social media strategy to boost its brand -- its Facebook followers (3,200) surpasses the population of Mountain View (2,700). And the company has embraced e-commerce, eBay and Do it Best’s ship-to-store service to adapt to shifting trends in retail.
Through its membership and participation in Do it Best and ENAP, Hipp also uses communication and networking as tools for success, generating best practices from industry roundtables.
The 2014 Tools of the Trade Award is sponsored by The Vendor Center, a leading business-to-business website that efficiently connects retailers and vendors on a 24/7 basis.
"We congratulate Hipp Modern Builders Supply on their successful efforts to maximize resources -- both in their stores and online," said The Vendor Center president Darrell Wabschall.
The Golden Hammer Ceremony will take place this year at the LVH-Las Vegas Hotel & Casino, beginning poolside at 4:30 p.m. The ceremony will induct into the Home Channel Hall of Fame Ron Beal, president and CEO of Memphis-based Orgill. Also honored will be Stine Home & Yard, of Sulphur, La., this year’s Golden Hammer Retailer of the Year.
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