Profiles

Zettler Hardware’s parent business opened in 1844, and its ability to adapt to the times has kept the company alive through changes that were tumultuous for retail and the country itself. Founder John Jacob Zettler was an early settler in …

          Click the picture to download a PDF of this story. By Dan Tratensek Doing It Differently Driving north up U.S. Highway 93 into Eureka, Montana, it’s easy to understand why this area has been dubbed …

Click the picture to download a PDF of this story. By Renee Changnon, rchangnon@nrha.org Brewing New Ideas Walking into Hepler’s Hardware, located in New Stanton, Pennsylvania, you’re bound to see customers browsing the store with a cup of coffee in hand. Owner Rob …

Click the picture to download a PDF of this story. By Renee Changnon, rchangnon@nrha.org Hardware Heritage For the Dyson family, Dyson Building Center in Great Mills, Maryland, is more than a place of work—it’s a home full of memories. The operation began in …

Printing, copying and shipping weren’t services Colmar Home Center offered a year ago, but that’s changed. Owner Michael Collins’ customers told him they had a need, and he realized a small store inside of his existing business could solve the …

Click the picture to download a PDF of this story. Using Instagram to Engage and Sell For many small business owners, finding ways to reach new customers and keep loyal clientele engaged can be constant challenges. Print and digital advertising …

Mills County General Store and Ace Hardware is a mainstay in Goldthwaite, Texas, a town of about 1,800 people in the center of the state. Austin is the closest big city, just more than 100 miles south. Because it’s remote, …

Even before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, retail began establishing its roots in the U.S. Impressively, some of those early businesses are still in operation, having survived by evolving for more than two centuries. The July issue of Hardware …