Power Play: Hardware Store’s Solar Win
Jared Littmann and Marlene Niefeld, co-owners of K&B True Value, which celebrates 50 years in business this year. Niefeld is the daughter of store founders, Ken and Bobbie Niefeld.
Jared Littmann, co-owner of K&B True Value in Annapolis, Md., defined his store’s identity with a commitment to green business practices including installing solar panels and stocking an eco-friendly assortment.
When asked what defines his store, Jared Littmann, co-owner of K&B True Value in Annapolis, Md., can just point to his roof.
Spanning most of the roof are enough solar panels to provide all the electricity the store needs—and then some. Being eco-conscious is ingrained in the K&B True Value brand.
“I’ve always been passionate about the environment and protecting it for future generations,” Littmann says. “The hardware store is a more direct way to implement change for the environment in a soft-handed way.”
Along with his decision to power the store with renewable energy, Littmann, during his two decades in the hardware business, has chosen his assortment to reflect more green options, such as battery-powered tools and environmentally friendly cleaners. When planning the assortment and buying for the store, he looks for products that are environmentally friendly. Consumables that have refillable options fill store shelves along with other products such as laundry detergent sheets with more natural, non-chemical cleaners. Littmann was also an early adopter of LEDs and organic fertilizers.
The 224 solar panels on K&B True Value’s roof provide 100 percent of the store’s electricity, often generating more power than the store requires, adding green power back into the grid.
Engineering, Law School, then Store Owner
His commitment to the environment began well before owning the store, though. A New Jersey native, Littmann earned an engineering degree with a focus on the environment from Washington University. Then, he went to law school at the University of Maryland. After working as a lawyer for seven years, he and his wife, Marlene Niefeld, wanted a more family-friendly lifestyle. Niefeld grew up in a hardware store family. Her parents, Ken and Bobbie Niefeld, opened K&B Hardware in 1974.
Littmann began working in the store in 2004 to learn the ropes and see if the business aligned with their vision for a different lifestyle. Then in 2007, he and his wife purchased the business.
In addition to installing LEDs and solar panels in the store, the K&B True Value assortment reflects eco-conscious values. One example: Earth Breeze laundry detergent sheets, which are dye-free, vegan and cruelty-free, and phosphate and phthalate-free.
Since then, Littman has dived headfirst into the hardware business and the Annapolis community. After serving for 11 years, he completed his tenure on the True Value board of directors in March 2024. He has also given much time to the Annapolis community, serving on the city council, school boards, local task forces, along with coaching youth sports. He announced that he is running for mayor of Annapolis in 2025. As the election nears, he’s easing into more of a part-time role and his wife is taking a lead role in store operations.
Littmann characterizes his store as “small but busy.” With about 9,500 square feet of retail space, the store racks up about 175,000 transactions a year. On a busy spring day, the store can register about 1,200 transactions.
