If "Ace is the Place With the Helpful Hardware Man", then what is Hardware Hank? The official slogan is, "We've got a lot more going for you at Hardware Hank" , but Chris likes his Mom's version better! "If we don't have it, you don't need it!" And if perchance, they don't have what you need in stock, they can most likely order it for you.
I stopped in to the Dodge Center Hardware Hank store to see what this big sale I had heard about was. I was pleased to see a whole wall, plus tables set up when you first walk in to the store, of 50% off items! Lots and lots of items!!! I just happened to need some outdoor stain and sealer, and my favorite brand, Cabots, was one of the many items at 50% off! Score!!
Most of the time when a store has such a good sale, it is winter clothes when summer is upon us, or lawn mowers at the end of the season. Things you probably don't need at the time. But this is the time of year when you need exterior paints, stains and sealers, so why are they half off?
I asked Chris and Nikki Runnells who are the owners of the store, why the huge sale?
"We are getting ready for some major updates," Chris replied. "We need to make room for new inventory, and the floors are being redone on June 8th. We need to move a lot of things out, so we are having the sale." There you have it, Folks! The sale is on until June 14th, so go on down to the store and see what bargains you need before the Grand Re-Opening!
Chris told me of all the renovations they were doing, and said he was calling it the Grand Re-Opening, because they were doing so many updates. The store has looked the same for the past 50 years, since before his Mom and Dad owned it.
Chris and Nikki are Dodge Center natives. They bought the store in 2016. Chris' dad was going through some medical issues, and needed to retire. Chris had been working for Ellingson for the past 5 ½ years, and doing a lot of travelling. He and Nikki decided it would be best to buy the store so Chris could be home instead of on the road. Nikki had been working at Main Street Dental for the past 11 years, and after a year and a half of owning Hardware Hank, she joined Chris in the family business. Their daughter Sabree comes in for a few hours a day when she isn't playing or practicing for volleyball and softball. They are lucky to have Marie, Chris' mom, come in to help when they are busy, or when Chris needs a fishing or hunting get away for a few hours! They also "inherited" Wendy Stroebl to help with the bookkeeping, and that is the entire staff right now, along with the store greeters, Copper and Boomer!
If you are from Dodge Center, then you probably know that Hardware Hank is a very giving local business. They donate gift cards for fundraising and events in town. They gave cash to help fund Dodger Days, and are always willing to go the extra mile for the town and the people who live here. Shopping local not only helps small business owners, but creates a sense of community. We all know that small businesses have been on a downhill slide since the quarantines and online shopping in the past years, so I think it's time to get back to shopping local and helping our friends and families get back on track. The Grand Re-Opening will be sometime in June, so it's literally a fresh new beginning for your local hardware store! Come on down and check out the sale now, and the new inventory soon to be! And, hey..... tell them Cheri sent you!
