In May of 1987, Dennis Vanderhorst, bought this quaint little hardware store with the belief that if a depression would hit America again, people would return to repairing things rather than replacing them. With a degree in retail management from Bowling Green State University and 25 years of experience with Sears and PK Lumber, Dennis sought to escape the negative impact of the, “Centralize, Computerize and Dehumanize” cultural trends at that time. Prayer and the guidance of the Holy Spirit led him back to the neighborhood of North Dayton where he and his wife, Sally, lived when they were first married. As soon as he entered through the glass front door and heard the chime of the bell alerting the employees that a customer had entered, he fell in love with the old hardwood floor and the “old hardware store smell” as many customers have done in the building’s one hundred year history. 

Dennis’s two sons, David and Tim, joined him in running the business and became partners with him in 2005. Now, with the death of Dennis in June of 2023, the second generation is striving to continued Dennis’s zeal for life and joy of welcome shoppers with a warm and friendly smile and “good, old-fashioned service” to help them with their repair or maintenance needs.

We look forward introducing a new generation to the joy of fixing things!