Legacy Expands with Community-centric, New Location
Village Hardware & Home Center
Findlay, Ohio
Beacon Award for Best New Store
From humble beginnings in Leipsic, Ohio, to a state-of-the-art store in Findlay, Ohio, the Evers family’s commitment to customer service, community, and innovation earns them the 2024 Beacon Award for Best New Store.
Click Below to Watch Village Hardware & Home’s Beacon Award Presentation Video:
Kevin and Ann Evers never set out to run a hardware store. In 1982, Kevin was working as a cabinetmaker, but when a downturn in the housing market slowed his business, fate intervened. During a visit to a local hardware store, he learned the owner was retiring. By the end of the week, the Evers family had the keys to Village Hardware in Leipsic, Ohio, marking the beginning of a family business now spanning decades.
Fast forward to 2024, and Village Hardware’s second location in Findlay, Ohio, has earned the Evers family the Beacon Award for Best New Store. The Findlay store is a testament to their unwavering dedication to customer service and community, built from the ground up on a nine-acre plot with the guidance of their co-op, Do it Best. What began as a single store in Leipsic has grown into a thriving enterprise, now run with help from their sons, Jeff and Jay, with a focus on meeting community needs and expanding product offerings.
Seeds of Growth into New Market
The family’s store in Leipsic saw impressive sales volume, partly because of business from nearby Findlay. Regular customers from Findlay, a town of 40,000, often expressed the need for a hardware store closer to home. After paying attention to their customers and relying on market analysis from their co-op, Do it Best, the family explored acquisitions in Findlay, ultimately deciding to build a new store from the ground up.
In 2022, the Evers family began building on a nine-acre plot. With assistance from Do it Best, they optimized the store layout and determined an ideal assortment. Designed with a modern feel and open layout to appeal to today’s shoppers, the store also integrated local historical photos to highlight their community ties.
Innovative Tech, Assortment Planning
Village Hardware & Home Center’s Findlay location combines sustainability and convenience with its modern, customer-focused design.
On the tech side, the Findlay store installed solar panels that now pay for most of its electrical use.
“Using federal tax breaks and incentives, we jumped at the chance to make our new store a little greener,” explains Jeff Evers, Kevin and Ann’s son, who bought into the business. The solar panels handle 89 percent of the store’s electrical usage, significantly reducing costs. “Within our first month of using it, we’ve saved about $1,500. Figuring in the incentives, we’ll recoup the costs in five to six years.”
Located on a main highway, Village Hardware Findlay is easily accessible for customers. The store stocks a large assortment of products for DIY, farm, ranch, and construction needs. Landscapers, contractors, and builders know Village Hardware for its large selection of mowers, power tools, plumbing, and electrical products.
Just 18 months after breaking ground, Village Hardware Findlay held its grand opening in June 2023. The event welcomed more than 1,000 guests into the new, 19,000-square-foot showroom.
“Do it Best made their cost analysis projections, and we’ve already exceeded it,” Jeff says. “We’re up a half million in sales than where we projected we’d be in a year.” Regular events, like the weekly Friday Night Out, have garnered large turnouts and increased daily foot traffic.
Strong Niches Drive Sales
Village Hardware has built its success by identifying niche markets that address the unique needs of its community. From a comprehensive fireplace showroom and grilling department to custom golf cart services, the store has expanded its offerings to meet customer demand and keep them coming back.
One of Village Hardware’s most prominent niches is home fireplaces and outdoor firepits. The new Findlay store features a vast showroom of fireplaces, firepits, mantels, hearth finishes, and accessories. “We do the complete job, from construction to installation,” says Jeff. “We don’t subcontract anything, because we can do it all ourselves.” This all-inclusive approach to fireplace installation and remodeling makes them unique in their market, drawing customers from a large area.
The store’s large grilling department features several grill brands and includes a large selection of grill pellets and barbecue accessories. “We invested in a diverse range of spices, seasonings, and barbecue sauces,” Jeff says. “Selling a grill brings them in once, but these items drive repeat sales from grillers and attract culinary enthusiasts.”
Village Hardware’s most unique niche is golf carts. A decade ago, the Evers family noticed the growing popularity of golf carts in Leipsic. Kevin frequently saw golf carts driving through neighborhoods and campgrounds. The category started as a side business, refurbishing used carts. Village Hardware now is known as the go-to destination for golf carts and offers customizations, such as special logos, lights, and paint jobs.
Expanding Customer Base
The Evers family continues to reach out and find new segments of the northwest Ohio market.
Village Hardware Findlay’s customer base is 75 percent DIY and farming, and 25 percent contractor, so they utilize a customer loyalty program to draw in those shoppers and keep them coming back.
“If we sell it, we back it up with service,” Jeff says. “This level of support deepens customer relationships and sets Village Hardware apart from the big boxes.”
Building relationships within the area’s large industrial base has been key. “We’re in farm country, but we have a large industrial following,” Kevin says. Nearby manufacturing facilities of Marathon Oil, Goodyear, and Whirlpool contribute to their customer base. Village Hardware also targets contractors, new homeowners, and builders in the rapidly growing Liberty Township. These strategies have enabled them to expand their business and strengthen community ties.
“It’s pretty exciting to know that my family built one of the best hardware stores in the United States,” Jeff says. “I really want to thank the Do it Best development and team, a great group of people who put their heart and soul into designing hardware stores. Also, I want to thank all the vendors here at the conference. It’s amazing to have so many engaged vendors to help grow our business.”
