Who cares? He cares.
Big enough to provide, small enough to care — says it all about hardware stores serving their communities with all they might need, and doing it in a friendly, helpful, hometown way.
On the cover of our recent Hardware & Building Supply Dealer, meet STIHL Hardware All Star Vernon Kuhns, the owner of Graber Building Supply in Tuscola, a small town in central Illinois with a population of about 4,000.
He bought the store last September, “from a guy who’s retiring,” said Kuhns. “We didn’t need to reinvent the wheel. We have a good thing going here in the center of the state, supplying housing and barns — our business is a small hardware and a big lumber yard put together.”
When he took over, he kept all of the experienced staff of 55 at the Graber store in Tuscola, which is one of four stores he owns in the region, with 28,000 square feet of space. “We focus on our quality and service,” he said.
But there’s more to this store than hardware and lumber.
In an age where many hardware retailers are expanding their offering with items such as toys, gifts and housewares, Kuhns said auto repair and small engine repair are key parts of his business. And he’s expanding it.
“We have four mechanics on our auto repair side,” he said. “We just added another mechanic with 30 years experience and we’ve also hired a Gold Star STIHL mechanic for our small engine shop.”
This owner said the auto and small engine shop — a department they call “Awesome Machines” — is the fastest improving area in the business right now.
Word of mouth is carrying the message, around town and to nearby farms, that their tool shop is growing.
That theme of serving local communities with exactly what they need, really embraces the essence of all the STIHL Hardware All Stars on display in the pages of this special issue.
Kuhns said, “we pride ourselves on our community,” which speaks to all 50 hardware superstars this year.
“We’re big enough to provide, small enough to care,” he said.
Enjoy reading about the 2023 STIHL Hardware All Stars in this digital issue.
The STIHL Hardware All Star selection is finished for this year, but we're always looking for future honorees. If you know of a hardware business you'd like to recommend to be in the running for next year, email [email protected].
Tell us what's unique about the business and what makes the owners special to their hometown market. If possible, attach a photo to your email of the hardware business, that shows the owners and team.
Thanks for helping us find the next select group of superstar hardware store owners.
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