50+ Years of Retail Know-How from the Industry’s Tech Whisperer
From decades at his family’s Cornell’s Hardware to his current role with Aubuchon, John Fix III reflects on legacy, technology and the business that shaped him.
When longtime Cornell’s True Value owner John Fix III sold his family’s Eastchester, N.Y., hardware business to Aubuchon in 2022, it marked the close of one chapter and the start of another in a career that has now spanned more than 50 years.
Featured on Hardware Connection’s April 2019 cover, John Fix III shared his family story and Cornell’s Hardware’s tradition of innovation, service and community trust.
Cornell’s company was founded 1908 when brothers Charlie and Baily Cornell bought a hardware store in Tuckahoe, N.Y. The brothers hired John’s grandfather, John Fix, in 1916. The Fix family bought the company in 1936, with each generation shaping the store’s reputation for personalized service, strong community presence and early adoption of technology.
Under John Fix III’s leadership, Cornell’s became one of the first independent hardware stores to sell products online and maintained a near-perfect 4.9-star rating across nearly 1,000 reviews.
The store’s sale to Aubuchon reflected a thoughtful succession plan rooted in continuity: keeping a respected neighborhood operation in trusted hands while ensuring stability for its employees and customers. Aubuchon noted at the time of the acquisition that Cornell’s strong operational foundation, well-trained team and community loyalty made it a natural fit for their growing network of family-led stores. For Fix, the transition also honored the legacy of his grandfather and father, who had long been fixtures in the trade and recipients of Golden Hammer awards—an honor John recently received himself, continuing the family tradition. His sister, Mary Beth Wellington, also received a Golden Hammer this year and now serves as a category manager at Aubuchon.
Today, John remains with Aubuchon in a new role, working in inventory control across the company’s network. After decades of six- and seven-day workweeks, the shift has brought a more predictable rhythm while still keeping him close to the industry he helped shape. In this exclusive conversation with Hardware Connection, Fix reflects on receiving recognition for 50 years of service, the evolution of technology in the channel and the future of independent hardware retailing.
Describe what being acknowledged for 50 years of industry excellence means to you.
The first thing that comes to mind is family. My grandfather, my father and even our longtime bookkeeper all received Golden Hammers, so it felt meaningful to follow in their footsteps. It’s a nice acknowledgment, though bittersweet, because I’m the last person in my family who will receive it. That’s the path we shifted to when we sold the store.
What are the biggest changes you’ve seen—for good and for not so good?
I came into the business right before computerization took off, and we were early adopters. Looking back, I can’t imagine running a successful store today without those tools. The internet has been both helpful and challenging: it raised visibility for small stores but also opened the door to tougher competition.
On the downside, consolidation has taken away many smaller independents that don’t have a next generation coming in. When those stores disappear, the community loses something. Standardization also makes stores look more alike, even though I understand the business reasons behind it.
What has life been like since selling Cornell’s to Aubuchon? What’s your role now?
I still work at the store, but in the office. I’m focused on inventory control for all Aubuchon locations. It’s much more relaxed. I work Monday through Friday, go home at 4:30 and no longer get the late-night calls. It’s been wonderful to have weekends for my grandkids. Every now and then I see old customers, which is nice. At some point Aubuchon will convert the store, and I’m curious to see how it looks. Cornell’s carried nearly 1,000 reviews and a 4.9-star rating, but ultimately the staff is what keeps that going.
You founded the online forum Hardlines Digest, which has been a long-running, online space for retailers to connect. What do you see as its role today?
It’s hard to predict. Social media conversations are noisy and full of ads, whereas a direct person-to-person forum still works. Hardlines has more than 2,000 people on the list, and that critical mass helps. I experimented with AI to enhance it, but it was difficult to feed information in effectively. For now, it still serves as a good way for retailers to ask questions and search through past discussions.
Cornell’s was one of the first hardware retailers selling online. What’s your take on today’s tech and what interests you most?
I’m glad the industry has embraced technology. At Hardlines Digest, I tried for years to push stores forward—first with email, then websites, then social media. Today there’s even more potential, especially with AI. I’m intrigued by digital bin tags and labeling, and very impressed with how Aubuchon uses systems like Theatro. It replaces walkie-talkies with an audio platform that can eventually integrate AI so an associate could ask a question and get product or inventory information instantly.
What advice would you give younger independent hardware retailers?
Pay attention to technology and be willing to try new tools. Buy a device, experiment and see if it helps your operation. At the same time, don’t let tech pull you away from the sales floor. Spend real time with customers and staff—25 percent of your day if you can. When I worked at Cornell’s, my office was just off the floor and I was constantly up and down those four steps. After moving to Aubuchon’s second-floor office, I realized how much I missed that daily motion and interaction. Tech is important, but so is knowing what customers are looking for and staying connected to the work happening on the ground.
Third-generation retailer John Fix III pushed Cornell’s Hardware to the forefront of tech adoption, saying his goal was “to drag stores kicking and screaming into the technology age.”
