Do it Best Board Chairman Joe Taylor Calls on Independent Retailers to Say “No” to Weber
Joe Taylor is chairman of the board for Do it Best and part of the fourth generation of the Taylor family to lead Taylor’s Do it Center, a family-owned hardware business that has served Virginia communities since 1927.
In a strongly-worded open letter, Joe Taylor—president & CEO of Taylor’s Do it Center and Pleasants Hardware, and Chairman of the Board at Do it Best—called out Weber for its recent distribution decision that he says undermines the independent hardware retailers who helped build the brand.
Weber recently announced it will eliminate distribution to nearly all independent retailers, with the exception of Ace and Emery Jensen, while continuing to support big box stores and online marketplaces. For Taylor, the move is both short-sighted and damaging.
“Does this sound like a win for independents? I don’t think so,” Taylor writes. “We will not buy their products through our competitors. How can this be a reasonable solution for independents?”
Taylor’s family has been in hardware retailing for four generations, serving communities since 1927. Based in Virginia Beach, his company operates 21 locations across Virginia and North Carolina. His stores have been carrying Weber grills for over 50 years—long before Weber manufactured gas grills and before the rise of big-box competition. In fact, Weber once honored Taylor’s Do it Center with a replica of George Stephen’s original kettle grill to recognize that long-term partnership.
“Years back, Weber presented us with a replica of George Stephen’s original kettle in recognition of our many years of strong support,” Taylor notes in the letter. “What changed?”
He points out that his stores are up double digits with Weber this year and that the brand remains the core of their outdoor cooking category. But even with that growth, he draws a clear line: “It will most certainly hurt to lose them, but we will not buy their products through our competitors.”
The letter also echoes a broader sentiment that’s gaining momentum across the channel. Taylor references a challenge issued by Do it Best territory manager Drew Banyas on LinkedIn:
“What if you said ‘No’? What if you and 100 dealers said, ‘No’? What if you and 1000 dealers said, ‘No’? What about 5000 dealers?”
Taylor’s response: “Challenge accepted.”
As Chairman of the Board at Do it Best, Taylor is urging fellow independents to take a stand over the next six months—not just to voice dissatisfaction, but to reevaluate their partnerships in the grilling category. “We’re not sitting still,” he writes. “Our company is going to engage closely with our wholesale partner to evaluate new offerings in the grilling category.”
According to the context, of the letter, Taylor sees this moment as a larger turning point for the industry, one that raises key questions about supplier relationships, brand loyalty, and how independent retailers choose to do business.
“I know there are great companies out there who would love to have the enthusiastic support of thousands of independent retailers working with them to grow the business,” he writes. “I look forward to that opportunity. And I’m confident that, together, we can shape a stronger future for the independent channel.”
