Guthrie’s Hardware Maintains Tradition of Service
After 66 years in business, the Guthries can tell you a thing or two about the nuts and bolts of running a hardware store.
Located in a historic building in downtown Brookneal, Va., Guthrie’s Hardware was founded by Billy Guthrie in 1954. Guthrie’s daughter, Brenda Short, now works as the store’s office manager. Short said she is proud to work for her family’s business, which also employs her son, James Short, as a stock boy. Short said the store is still quite popular, even after so many years in business, writes A.J. O’Leary in The Altavista Journal.
“We’ll have people come in to browse, just to look,” Short said.
Both Short and Kevin Bray, the store’s longtime manager, described Guthrie’s as a traditional hardware store. Bray said the store carries specialty items that big-box hardware stores like Lowe’s or Home Depot may not have, and provides a high level of service by maintaining good relationships with customers and making special orders for them if needed.
“We specialize in helping people fix what they need to fix,” Bray said.
Guthrie’s Hardware is open six days per week, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays. The store carries over 1,600 colors of Valspar paint, the largest selection of bolts and specialty hardware and plumbing in Brookneal, tools, novelty gifts, sporting goods, lawnmower parts, glass, electrical supplies, fishing bait and tackle, and hunting and fishing licenses.
One of the many traditional, independent hardware stores that remain on Main Street America, Guthrie’s has been affiliated with brands like American Hardware, Western Auto, Servistar and True Value and is currently an Orgill dealer.
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