STIHL Hardware All Stars: N.C., N.D., Ohio, Okla.
The 2021 class of STIHL Hardware Store All Stars represents community-oriented, customer-focused, high-performance hardware-and-building-supply retailing at its finest. From each of the 50 United States, HBSDealer recognized an All Star performer. to carry the banner into 2022.
You can read about all 50 honorees here in the digital issue of HBSDealer. Additionally, HBSDealer.com will continue to highlight a handful of honorees throughout the year, working our way from Alabama to Wyoming.
And if you have any candidates for the class of 2022, drop your suggestions here.
Below, the All Star showcase continues from North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio and Oklahoma.
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North Carolina
Mountain View Home and Hardware
Energized by the experience of running a pro-focused dealer in Virginia, Scott and Tammy Moore in 2018 took their talents to King, N.C., and established a 10,500 sq. ft. store with an emphasis on outdoor living, and the results have run ahead of projections ever since. Alongside outdoor furniture, fountains, grills and fire pits, Mountain View offers gifts—the home impressions department—and small engine and grill repairs.
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North Dakota
Cavalier Do it Best Home & Lumber
An All-Star characteristic on display in Cavalier, N.D., is a focus on growth. Last year, Cavalier acquired an old Shopko building and more than doubled their retail space. The new home center has a full-service lumberyard as well as everyday home essentials, plus apparel. Cavalier also invested in a robust online presence, implementing digital marketing strategies to attract customers looking for home improvement solutions online.
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Ohio
Hemley Hardware
Undaunted by the pandemic, owner Chris Hyatt oversaw the construction of his new 24,000 sq. ft. store virtually. This All-Star space in Thompson, Ohio, boasts a completely remodeled paint department with the newest technology in paint-mixing machines. Additionally, Hyatt doubled the size of the workwear and shoe departments and rearranged the industrial tooling, hardware, and trucking divisions for optimum merchandising effect.
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Oklahoma
Cornerstone Ace Hardware
CornerStone is known for carrying great brands— STIHL, Craftsman, Milwaukee, etc.—but is not afraid to break out of the box, said owner Caleb Potter. “Just before Christmas 2020, we invested in a laser engraving machine. It was a new service and is providing a great return. We engrave tumblers and cutting boards and displayed it on the sales floor so customers can see all the different items we can personalize.”
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What makes a hardware store an All Star? Any or all of the following:
• Innovation in operations, marketing, merchandising;
• High performance, expansion, success or sales growth;
• Customer focus; community centricity and a commitment to the traditions of the hardware and building supply industry.
Single-store retailers are as welcome as multi-state regional players. (Note, honorees need not be STIHL dealers to be recognized for the award.)
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