Dave Bennett - Bob Collins
Gravenhurst store owners
Home Hardware Stores Limited
From Small-town Store to National Success

In many ways, Home Hardware Stores Limited reflects the resourceful people who built a Canada-wide force of hardware retailers from a small, rural hardware store.

At the turn of the century a German immigrant, Henry Gilles, began selling hardware from his blacksmith’s shop in the village of St. Jacobs, Ontario. At that time, St. Jacobs was far removed from the larger industrial centres, but many of the area farmers and businessmen were industrially progressive. In 1932, the business was sold to a local businessman, Gordon Hollinger. Mr. Hollinger and his assistant, Henry Sittler, were very ambitious and aggressive hardware retailers. They used advertisements and loss-leaders to gain consumer confidence and increase sales. When Canadian manufacturers refused to sell their products to Hollinger Hardware because they were retailers, Mr. Sittler began importing products from the United States, Great Britain, and Germany. He also encouraged local industry to manufacture private product lines.

Walter Hachborn joined Hollinger Hardware in 1938 as an apprentice. Mr. Hachborn did everything from receiving stock, stocking shelves, serving customers, and shipping orders to sweeping floors. After serving as a Warehouse Foreman in World War II, Mr. Hachborn worked closely with Mr. Hollinger and Mr. Sittler. In 1948, Mr. Hollinger passed away and his family decided to sell the business. Mr. Sittler and Mr. Hachborn purchased the business with a third partner, Arthur Zilliax, and together they worked to compete with the increasing number of shopping centres, discount stores and franchised retailers.

To survive in this increasingly competitive retail environment, Mr. Hachborn began researching cooperatives and dealer-owned companies in the United States. Mr. Hachborn met with hundreds of independent hardware retailers throughout Ontario and, in 1963, arrangements were made to purchase Hollinger Hardware and form a dealer-owned company with 122 independent retailers. On January 1, 1964, Home Hardware emerged as a new force in Canadian hardware retailing with Mr. Hachborn at its helm.

Home Hardware has grown immensely since its humble beginnings, but it has remained faithful to its basic principles of quality, value and service. Today there are more than  1,100 Home Hardware stores across Canada, and annual retail sales exceeding $3.2 billion . Home Hardware also has distribution centres in Nova Scotia, Alberta, and an award-winning private label paint manufacturing plant in Burford, Ontario. Home Hardware’s main office complex in St. Jacobs covers one million square feet. Home Hardware is a member of a North American buying alliance and a member of an international retail group which acts on a global level to share information and technology concerning the hardware industry. 

In December 1999, Walter Hachborn was named Retailer of the Century by a leading hardware and building supply industry publication. In 2000, Mr. Hachborn received the Order of Canada for his commitment to small business and the well being of his community.

Home Hardware has succeeded because of its resourceful staff, innovative technology and the vision of its founders. As Home Hardware continues to grow and increase its sales throughout Canada, there will be new goals, new technology, and renewed vision

Hachborn's achievements

Walter Hachborn's 60-plus years in the hardware retail trade have earned the modest St. Jacob's resident a number of accolades:

1974—Named Citizen of the Year for Woolwich Township.

1985—Recipient of an honorary doctor of laws degree from Wilfred Laurier University (Walter served as a member of WLU's board of governors for 10 years).

1988—Received the Distinguished Retailer of the Year award from the Retail Council of Canada, listed in Canada's Who's Who.

1989—Inducted into the Canadian Hardware/Housewares Hall of Fame.

Home Hardware employees celebrated his 50th year in the business with an original portrait.

Received Gold Hammer award and Gold Saw for 50 years in the hardware industry.

Received an honorary life membership in the Canadian Retail Hardware Association.

1996—Named Master Entrepreneur by the Entrepreneur of the Year program.

1999—Hardware Retailer of the Century award from Hardware Merchandising magazine.

Appointed Member of the Order of Canada.