Tag Archives: customer service

blogging, Blue Ridge Mountains, community, customer service, Discovering Roots, entrepreneurship, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, historical building, journey in life, Life experiences, Life In Wilkes, Natural World, NC Mountains, nuts and bolts, old hardware stores, old school hardware store, Resilence, service oriented hardware store, Shop Local, Summer Photography, The Gift of handmade, Western North Carolina, work, Works in Progress

“Grounding and Grafting” into The Hardware Life

August 1, 2025 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

The world of flight and aviation offers a unique experience, viewing our world in a very different and special way. Air flight offers one the opportunity to be “in the clouds”flying through and above the clouds. Being in and above the clouds presents the possibility to witness a place where our humanity is not truly visible everyday, a new and unique experience.

When I have the opportunity to fly, I always reserve a window seat so I can watch the clouds, and the sky. Graciously, my husband always grants me the courtesy of the window seat. My mind always soars with excitement once the plane begins to reach elevations above the clouds. From the safety of my window seat, I’m able to enjoy the beautiful sight of mountains, river valleys, oceans, and the cloud line below.

I grew up in Wilkes County, where our daily view includes the Blue Ridge Mountains. Simply, as one steps out the back door step, those mountains are sending a glorious daily greeting. I must admit, these mountains “ground” me as I continue to age. Even in the mundane activities of the day, like running errands, or maybe even if you’re headed off to work …those mountains are not far from our view. The mountains “grounded” in nature without the need to explore air travel in order to experience our surrounding beauty.

*Watching a Sunset in our Mountains is simply the best view in the world*

Our home county of Wilkes is rich in local history. Here in Wilkes, Brushy Mountain orchards are bursting with many different varieties of apples and peaches that are harvested each season, bringing the only the best fruits to market and our local festivals. Trees that are typically successfully grafted are fruit trees. Grafting a tree in its absolute simplest form, occurs when two different parts of the tree are joined together as ONE over a period of time.

Beautiful Parker Orchard local peaches in a handcrafted wooden bowl by Keegan Watson

Several months ago I wrote a blog post about being “Rooted in Wilkes” and how “Grafting” has taken place over time in my own life. I’ve been taking time to reflect, and as we head into year TEN in our hardware store ownership, that journey exemplifies grafting. I still can’t believe we are beginning year number TEN in August of 2025.

*Our old historic building was home originally to a local poultry processing plant, our logo is nod back to those times . Check out the link* The Chicken Hat

Who would have thought that the girl who spent her summers running in the grass, barefoot, with a view of the Blue Ridge in the distance, and loved chasing lightning bugs, would “graft” and be firmly “grounded” into the hardware life?

“The Hardware Life”, started TEN years ago, as Richard and I began our new journey into hardware store ownership inside the 1904 era vintage, historic building that still exists on 10th Street in Downtown North Wilkesboro.

It was an exciting, challenging, scary, and ultimately life altering, a full-fledged “grafting” experience. We were going to have to find our “footing” in this new adventure. The thick fog and clouds were looming. We were flying into those unknown/unfamiliar clouds of business ownership. Initially, it was a total cloud fog. Would the skies eventually become clearer???

For us, navigating the thick cloud bank, of hardware store ownership for the first time caused a bit of anxiety. But, I’ll reference a flight analogy, with the sure and steady handiwork of an “experienced flight crew”, the heavy cloud bank was easily navigable. As the aircraft began cruising at higher altitudes, our “clouds” disappearing from view. Yes, we have experience turbulence over the last TEN years. It has been a bit of bumpy ride navigating this new Hardware Life.

To those who helped us navigate through the first stages of hardware store operations and ownership, we are extremely grateful. Thank you for helping us navigate to higher altitudes and enabling us able to gain some “grounded” confidence in our new normal in The Hardware Life.

With this new lesson in being “grounded” in hardware store ownership underway, Richard and I have somehow managed to survive this ever changing economic climate by continuing to adapt to our customers needs and wants.

Just because our building is old, doesn’t mean that we are the keepers of everything of times past. Don’t get me wrong, we treasure those legendary stories of our old 1904 era building and the rustic hardware store. But, holding onto and keeping the “dusty old items” on the shelf that no one is purchasing or needs anymore, will not help us make our bottom line. We have worked hard to build an updated inventory of hardware store essentials. All the while, building a unique hardware community. Richard and I have formed many new friendships with so many great people. We are truly thankful, grateful, and blessed.

*Our building dates back to 1904… look back* If These Walls Could Talk…

When we began this new business venture, Richard was excited about beginning a new career path, and exploring the opportunities to learn more about the inner workings of the hardware industry. He had always been around it, as he worked for a major paint manufacturer for over 20 years. Richard pushed hard for the first few years without me at Wilkes County Hardware.

*Key Making is an Integral Part of our Day to Day Business inside Wilkes County Hardware here’s a quick myth buster guide to keys* Myth Busters: Test Your Knowledge… MYTH v. FACT… Dispelling MYTHS about Common Key Problems

In those first few years of business ownership, I continued to work full time as an educator. My main initial contribution was setting up the social media platforms for our hardware store. Those platforms were maintained and updated regularly by me and I also helped out on weekends and summers as I could. We reset the hardware store to be more accessible to shoppers so merchandise was easier to find. Slowly over time, we have steadily grown a loyal audience on Facebook and Instagram, our hardware community has expanded.

In 2018, I began a blog, The Hardware Life Wife, to share stories about our business and our products. As a novice writer, my blog pieces were fairly short and mostly without pictures. Initially, in early days of blogging, I honestly couldn’t devote much time to focusing on the blog. It was mostly a “summertime project” and I worked on blog posts between planning school lessons while teaching full time.

But, after a few years of consistent blogging, it became a goal of mine to add as many authentic pictures as I could to help break up my longer content pieces that I was now beginning to write.

My blog was changing and grafting into a new direction. I had found that my photography was providing a visual experience for the reader, adding an extra dimension, or as I could say “branch” to the story that was needed. This visual graft, a realistic view, and a liaison to my personal experience, an offering from me to others as a shared experience.

*The Blue Ridge Mountains… where the clouds meet the horizon*

Surprisingly, my personal photos were well received. I was stunned. This new finding was giving me the confidence and the opportunity to share more of my personal photography for which, I’m thankful and extremely grateful. I enjoy sharing snapshots of my daily life. In the last few years, my photography has been featured in the annual Blue Ridge Photography Overview at Wilkes Art Gallery. Local amateur photographers from all over our surrounding area bring their best work to our local gallery to display in this juried exhibition.

Now, in 2025, my blog is a creative outlet for me as well as a way to share with others about our hardware store ownership journey. I am continuing to grow my audience and readership slowly and steadily “grafting” our daily lives into our hardware store business.

As life would have it, after those first few years of business ownership, it was becoming apparent, to both of us, that we needed to grow our business or simply move on. Richard and I decided to be firmly committed and “grounded” in our hardware store business and “graft” together. I launched into early retirement, leaving my 26 years in educational world behind.

How would two very different people manage to work together and still be harmonious? We now had the basics of hardware store ownership “grounded” into our reality. It took a bit of time to adjust to our new daily normal. “Grafting” together our skill sets, combining our strengths and weaknesses, utilizing them to bring the best hardware store experience possible our customers. Grafting at its core definition.

Fruit farmers often graft their fruit trees to create a new variety. The act of grafting… taking one plant cutting and merging with another, creating a unique union and the growth of a new species. Together, we grafted a new hardware reality working together to meet our customers needs, while continuing expanding our hardware store knowledge base.

*Our shelves are fully stocked with customer favorites and needed items*

Working together, Richard and I have slowly made changes inside our historic hardware store walls, such as resetting our shelves and changing the flow of customer traffic. Other avenues we have explored included adding a vast new variety of hardware products into our existing lineup, “Grounding and Grafting” our way through the hardware life.

But probably the most distinctive aspect that we are becoming known for, is finding and curating locally sourced handmade goods. All of these changes, within our small town hardware store “grafted” or combined together, we have tried to create a unique shopping experience for all who visit our old-fashioned hardware store in Downtown North Wilkesboro, locals and visitors alike.

As “grafted and now more grounded” business owners, we know the positive impact of being active within our community. In the last few years, Richard and I have worked alongside other Downtown Merchants, to form The Downtown North Wilkesboro Merchants Association. We both actively participate in this group and we are excited to see this group grow. You may recognize this organization, as we have collectively worked to create, The Spooktacular Festival for our community when the Greenway Trail of Treats was cancelled several years ago and The Spooktacular would serve as an alternative event.

In closing, as we begin year TEN, our Hardware Life story is simple. We thrive on interaction with our customers and our greater community. Without that, we would not exist. That’s how we stay connected and grounded. We have heard too many stories over the last ten years about how old, vintage, authentic hardware stores are just not around anymore. Richard and I are very thankful that our community still supports our local hardware store. Thanks for the opportunity to keep us firmly “grounded” in our community!

*Thanks for allowing us the opportunity to “graft” and grow over the last ten years.* ABC’s of Wilkes County Hardware…

blogging, customer service, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, keys, Life In Wilkes, Myth Busters, old school hardware store, service oriented hardware store, Shop Local

Myth Busters: Test Your Knowledge… MYTH v. FACT… Dispelling MYTHS about Common Key Problems

February 13, 2025 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

The constant hum of the key machine, regular background noise inside Wilkes County Hardware

When I taught middle school students, Discovery Channel had a television series called Myth Busters. Using the Middle School science curriculum, I could easily fit in a few of these segments from Myth Busters and students absolutely loved them!

A recent trip to grocery store… golf balls everywhere in the parking lot… how random??? Or was it???Hmmm 🤔

Learning from this series was relatively easy and definitely related to something that students could make connections to, using real life experiences and experiments shared in that series. That memory got me to thinking about doing some serious Myth Busting in our own business life. Why not share the same type of experience with you on social media about a subject that is in need of myth busters???

What ONE 🔑 “key” topic immediately came to my mind??? KEYS of Course !!! Wilkes County Hardware answers lots of questions daily concerning KEYS.

Why all the confusion and questions about Keys and where to go??? This is probably due in part because one of the former owners of the hardware store used to own BOTH (Lock Service and the hardware store) . Life in a small town, things never change… right??? But, we all know, that everything changes! The old assumptions remain, people still believe that things are the same… but time and ownership of both businesses changes things. What remains between the two existing businesses that is a constant ??? The sharing of information and consistent referrals across the board. If we can’t help a key customer at the hardware store, we refer them to the Locksmith next door.

Hopefully, we can together BUST down the mystery and myths that exist around making keys. We will examine when you should use the services of the local locksmith, with a business location next door to our hardware store.

Welcome to Wilkes County Hardware! Keys are duplicated individually, uniquely crafted by our staff members, designed to work every single time! Guaranteed!

MYTH 1: Wilkes County Hardware can unlock my car door for me, if I have locked my keys in my car.

Fact: Sorry, you will have to call the Locksmith for this one! Bill’s Lock Service is next door to us. Wilkes County Hardware and the Locksmith shop have been separate businesses for 20 years now!

MYTH 2: My existing house key is broken. It can’t be fixed! 😬Ugh!

Fact: Bring in the pieces, sometimes Wilkes County Hardware can “piece” the key back together carefully and make a new one!

MYTH 3: Wilkes County Hardware can only duplicate a few different type of keys.

Fact: Wilkes County Hardware has hundreds of different key blanks! We cut house keys, vehicle keys, boat keys, RV keys, 4 Wheeler keys, etc. The “box stores” in our area are very limited in what they can do as far as key cutting and they regularly send customers to us each week!

Personalized service, and the ability to duplicate a vast number of key blanks is absolutely a game changer, KEYS, at Wilkes County Hardware.

MYTH 4: The Locksmith is located inside Wilkes County Hardware…. I need to talk to the locksmith, is he in here??? Where is he??? When will he be back in office??

We get these questions (via phone and in person) at least once a day… for the last nine years, y’all it’s a lot, just saying…😬

Fact: Bill’s Lock Service is highly mobile. He goes out to help customers and meet their needs, unlocking vehicles, rekeying, etc. We have no idea where he is on a daily basis or when he will be back because he is a different existing business owner. Please contact him directly if you need his services.

MYTH 5: All rekeying of door locks has to be done at the Lock Service Shop, not the hardware store.

Fact: Wilkes County Hardware rekeys locks. Bring your existing lock to us, we can rekey it for you. If you need locks rekeyed on site, then please use the lock service.

Rekeying often takes a bit of time. Customers can drop off locks and return later in day.

MYTH 6: I only have one key to my vehicle. If you make me another key, it will start the car.

Fact: Not always will this be true! If your original key is a computer chip key, and you decide to only purchase a replacement key to unlock the door, it will NOT work in the ignition. The computer chip inside that key sends a signal to your vehicle to activate your ignition. We urge our customers to decide what’s best for your budget, and Wilkes County Hardware can help you with your key needs. It’s never a good scenario to have only one key.

This machine lets our key cutting staff know if a key is a chip key, if it not marked on the key itself.

MYTH 7: My Key fob died and I have to make an appointment at the car dealership to get it fixed.

Fact: Wilkes County Hardware has many types of key fob battery replacements that are readily available for purchase. We can easily replace your battery for you and you can get back to driving in most cases and save you the time and money.

Many times the battery just needs replacing inside your key fob, our staff replaces these for our customers often. We keep the batteries in ready shelf stock.

MYTH 8: I’ve lost my Tool box, house key, file cabinet, or safe key. I’m sure you can make me a new one right?

Fact: You will need to check with the Bill’s Lock Service. He has the capacity to possibly help you. Wilkes County Hardware duplicates existing keys. Think of it this way, when I say duplicate, and I’ll use this analogy… it’s like putting a copy into the printer and a new copy comes out, exactly like the original. You have to have a copy to begin with in order to get a new copy. That’s what we do with keys at Wilkes County Hardware. Whereas, the Locksmith is more specialized, and he can create new keys without a copy, using existing locksmith technology to make a key.

MYTH 9: I thought you guys had stopped making keys!

Fact: Absolutely untrue!!! Wilkes County Hardware has been a destination for KEYS for many years. We duplicate keys all day long and have expanded our key selection in the last ten years! We make each key individually. Wilkes County Hardware also has the ability to offer the following key services: rekey a new door lock to match your current key, Keyed padlocks, and chip keys for several vehicle types. We will be exploring adding additional machines/key blanks in the upcoming future, so stay posted for more details.

The KEY desk is usually humming with activity. We are blessed with a staff that can work seamlessly side by side making keys successfully for our customers.

MYTH 10: I can call the hardware store to ask about a specific vehicle key to see if it can be made there.

Fact: It’s definitely better to see the key you need in person/in the store rather than discussing it over the phone, due to vast number of key blanks that we have. Every key is slightly different. Often, we have customers who believe they have a vehicle key that isn’t a chip key and then after a quick analysis by our key staff, the key, they soon realize, it is a chip key 😬.

Those are our top 10 Myths that Wilkes County Hardware encounters on a daily basis. I hope that this information has been helpful and useful to our customers concerning common key questions. Always, if in doubt, please stop by and we will be glad to answer any questions or concerns you might have about keys.

Sharing a few more thoughts about keys and why our customers keep coming back to us at Wilkes County Hardware with each key…

1. When we duplicate KEYS at Wilkes County Hardware, we have always urged customers to check keys before leaving store (if making a vehicle key) and always bring any key back in if the keys need to be tweaked, no charge!

2. Normally, the key desk has minimal returns. But, all KEYS are not created equal! The quality of the original key is definitely a factor in the making of the new duplicate key, and some keys are harder to cut accurately, especially if it is worn out.

3. If you have a KEY, we will do our best to help you get a duplicate made. 99 percent of time we can probably do it in house, but sometimes we refer people to the Locksmith for a more specialized key.

4. NO KEY… well that is a locksmith job and we will definitely refer y’all to Bill’s Lock Service. Hope that we have busted the MYTHs around 🔑 keys!

Getting back to where I began my opening story I always had my students do a brief summary of the myth that was busted in that Myth Buster video series and tell me what was actually the truth/facts after the fun of the video viewing was concluded. We could expand on these findings and bring it into our science discussions later on, connecting back to what we learned.

So in my final report to you today concerning the actual Facts, not the myths about making keys at Wilkes County Hardware: Key Duplication has been a integral part of our work inside the hardware store for many years. If you have an existing key, we can probably make it for you. No key, please call the locksmith. No more MYSTERY and MYTHS around 🔑 keys! Expert status! Bravo!!!! 👏🏻

How did you score on that MYTH v. Fact checklist today initially before reading the answers??? Just curious 🧐???

Thanks for shopping local with us at Wilkes County Hardware for your key purchases and much more!

blogging, community, customer service, entrepreneurship, hardware store, Hardware Store Hours, Hardware Store Life, keys, Life In Wilkes, nuts and bolts, old hardware stores, old school hardware store, service oriented hardware store, Shop Local, southern living

Service Oriented Hardware Store

October 16, 2024 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

Most folks know to stop by Wilkes County Hardware for a key that works… but did y’all know that we do all of the following things each and every single day as services???

Hundreds of key blanks available for duplication!!!!

Key duplication- need an extra key or lost the extra key to your car. Bring your original key 🔑 into Wilkes County Hardware and get a new one made.

Chip keys are also available and coming soon, Sidewinder keys!!!

2. Rekey door locks- sometimes for safety reasons you need your door lock rekeyed or would like to have your NEWLY purchased door lock keyed to your current key. We rekey in the store with locks in hand. You must call the locksmith for on site services with rekeying door locks. Ask for assistance inside Wilkes County Hardware for this service in store and pricing information.

Deadbolts and door locks can be keyed to the same 🔑 key

3. Padlocks keyed the same- want to use the same key 🔑 for multiple padlocks??? We have options for you to key padlock to your key.

4. Pool Water Testing- Summer splashing fun requires a bit of maintenance… bring a sample of your pool water to Richard for a quick test (for free) to see what needs to be addressed, chemicals added, etc.

5. Chain ⛓️‍💥 Cutting- chain cut to exact length, by the foot. Please note: once the chain is cut and purchased it is not returnable!

6. Pipe threading- Galvanized and black pipe cut to size. Threading is also available if needed.

Wilkes County Hardware has a good selection of Galvanized and Black Iron pipe that are available for cutting and threading. Fittings also available in store.

7. Window screen repair – old screen doors or window screens looking a little bit worn out? Bring them by for a quick update.

8. Roll pipe cut to length – this stuff is a bulky beast to cut and many other hardware stores now will NOT cut it to length. Instead, you are forced to buy the huge roll 😳. But at Wilkes County Hardware, we cut it by the foot for our customers. Thanks for supporting local!

9. Glass cutting- Glass cut up to 36 inches long, bring exact dimensions. Glass expert on staff, thankful to have Tim Billings experience and expertise!

10. Tool Handle Replacement- old wooden handle all busted up? Stop by to pick up a replacement tool handle or leave it with us and we will do the work.

This oldie goldie tool is used during tool handle repair… shaving off the excess

11. Kerosene heater repair- Wick replacement available with many popular styles in stock.

12. Knife and scissors sharpening- if those knives seemed to be a little bit dull, drop them off and we can give them a sharpen for you. Scissors need a bit of TLC??? Fabric scissors require more time and effort to sharpen- bring a piece of small fabric with you so we can test them as we work on them to make sure they are perfectly sharpened.

13. Free Assembly- Purchase a large item from Wilkes County Hardware like a Traeger grill, wheelbarrow, etc and we will assemble it for you prior to pick up.

14. Special Orders- We order new or needed products for our customers every week! Sometimes you find the hardware store product in stock but you might need a larger quantity, ask us to order it for you!

Gallons are common in store but we have the capacity to order 5 gallon bucket for a much larger job!

15. Carry Out- We carry out packages, or bulky large items to the vehicle for our customers all the time!

Pool chemicals, large bags of bird seed, and potting soils tend to be bulky and heavy and carry out is standard in store.

Someone shared this thought with us not long ago, it is definitely worth sharing… “We all make choices as a consumer, so choose to support your favorite small businesses so that they can continue be open. If we choose not to support small businesses they cannot thrive and survive. “

Thank you for supporting local businesses in our community!

A new journey begins, August, blogging, Covid Life, customer service, entrepreneurship, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, historical building, memories, old hardware stores, old school hardware store, Shop Local, Works in Progress

A Blast from the Past

August 28, 2024 hardwarelifewife 6 Comments

Looking back at where we started in 2015 to now present day in August 2024 as we roll into year number NINE in the hardware business, I’m just shocked and amazed at the amount of change we have been able to accomplish over time. When you are there everyday, working amongst all this, it’s harder to see the progress sometimes. As the old saying goes, “can’t see the forest, for the trees”.

A small stack of old pictures were gifted to us by our friend, Steve Foster, who is our Orgill Hardware representative. Orgill, is our main hardware supplier. When we purchased the store in 2015, a new layout was in order. Initially, Steve took some photos to share with the Orgill layout team who helped us to reconfigure the best use of the available space. Did we follow the design they planned out??? Well, no. We modified a few things to suit what we wanted and needed our business to be after reviewing the blueprints with them. But those pictures are a good reminder of what the hardware store was, A Blast From the Past.

The original blueprint developed for us after we purchased Wilkes Hardware.

Those photo memories stirred a bit of excitement in me to create a pictorial version of that journey. Here’s an insider blog post reflecting upon some of the changes that have been made over time since our beginnings in 2015. The series of photos that follows in this blog will be featuring the 2015 photo then 2024 pictures will follow highlighting certain aspects of the hardware store.

2025 outside view, exterior holding area for bagged goods which was not available in store prior to 2015.

2015 front door view… one thing I noticed was the lack of light 💡 interior of the hardware store

2024… LED lights installed, and artist inspired designs on the front doors. Seasonal Flowers blooming at the front doors.

Initially, we were encouraged to paint the interior ceiling white. I pushed back hard. I wanted to keep it as “vintage, old hardware store” as I could. The ceiling and posts are still intact with original wood.

Summer of 2024: New work areas for staff has been created over time and in 2024 a new point of sale was added. We moved from the era of simply using a cash register to a full scale point of sale system in the first few years of business.

2015: Sink area used by employees but surrounded by merchandise

2024: Now mostly a true work area for our staff, same area in view but this area is less customer friendly due to the proximity to the key desk work area and pool water testing computer work area. I noticed the amount of light is much more visible in this recent photo!

2015: Back door entrance, note that the key 🔑 desk is not here!!!

2024: Back door entrance. Key desk area present AND more light!

2024: Key Desk area at back door entrance

2015: Front Entrance View, it was a bit of a maze to find what you needed

2024: Front entrance view, we have tried to created a more open flow for customers to walk through

2015: Key Desk was tucked away in the back of store… near the stairs leading to the second level

2024: This area is currently being updated… it’s a work area for chain cutting, kerosene heater repair, stove pipe replacement parts, etc

2015: The back front windows of the hardware store were covered with pegboard, which was used to display long handle tools.

2017: These doors were uncovered and the pegboard removed! Wayne worked on the old lock mechanism so the doors were moving and mobile to unlock.

2024: Doors are open on the warm, summer days to add extra air flow into the hardware store

2024: Lawn and Garden has been moved up to the front of the store

2020: Covid AND the flooding of our hardware store with the water originating from the lock shop created the need to close the connecting door permanently. Due to the nature of the lock shop business, they are often gone on call. The security of the lock shop is more secure with the hardware store door closed.

2020: Water entered from the back door of the lock shop, pushing the doors open. Water entered into our building as a result from the massive amount of water coming into flooded lock shop. The water was knee deep inside the lock shop!

2020: Water, water everywhere!!! It took several hours, lots of friends helping us to push the water out, and days of drying out. We were extremely lucky that the water level never reached higher than it did!

2024: Threaded rod, wooden dowels are right at home in front of the old lock shop door. Believe it or not, we still have folks who still try to go through this door to get to the lock shop. They are shocked to find it closed when they come in and find that they must use the main front entrance.

Richard told me the other day the staff used to keep and carry a small flashlight (in pocket) with them as they worked inside the hardware store when he first started in the summer of 2015 due to the lack of light coming into the space. I had no idea that was how they were working. Adding light was a key factor initially as we began to analyze what should be done. Slowly, the light has been expanding and more work is yet to come!

These pictures are a treasure to me. Steve thank you! One of my biggest regrets is not taking enough pictures to photograph our beginnings accurately as we have grown and evolved.

2024: This area is currently being reset now!

Thanks for being part of our hardware journey. Stay tuned in for more updates! We appreciate your continued support.

A new journey begins, blogging, challenges, customer service, entrepreneurship, hardware store, Hardware Store Life, old hardware stores, Resilence, Shop Local

“The Hardware Life”

January 29, 2024 hardwarelifewife Leave a comment

*Made in McGrady created this sign for us a few years ago, thanks for your friendship and encouragement always!*

Eight and half years ago, we just started. Richard and I launched ourselves into hardware store ownership… Beginning our journey into “The Hardware Life”. This new venture into business ownership was exciting, challenging, scary, and ultimately life altering. All of these different emotions could be filled up in a 5 gallon bucket. Dip your toes into the water, “sink or swim” as they say.

Richard was excited about beginning a new career path, exploring the opportunities to learn more about the inner workings of the hardware industry. He had always been around it, as he worked for a paint manufacturer for over 20 years. Richard pushed hard for the first few years without me at Wilkes County Hardware. It soon became apparent, that we needed to grow our business or move on. So, we decided to grow together. I launched into early retirement, leaving my 26 years in education behind. Our skill sets are different…utilizing them to bring the best hardware store experience possible our customers.

*Richard and Angela Searcy- Owners of Wilkes County Hardware*
📸 *By Hannah Crow Photography*

Working together, Richard and I have slowly made changes inside our historic hardware store walls, such as resetting our shelves and changing the flow of customer traffic. Other avenues we have explored included adding new hardware products into our existing lineup. But probably the most distinctive aspect that we are becoming known for is finding and curating locally sourced goods. All of these changes have created an unique shopping experience for all who visit our hardware store in Downtown North Wilkesboro.

*Handmade baskets, stained glass, local soap, honey, pottery, and woodworking… just a few of the items you can find inside our hardware store.* 📸 *Hannah Crow Photography*

For those of you who may not know, our building dates back to 1904!! The timbers tell our story, just look up as you enter through our front door. We are doing our best to honor our building history by keeping it as authentic as we possibly can.

*As you enter the front doors, the chippy paint may catch your eye, but the beams that built this place will definitely keep your interests .* 📸 *Hannah Crow Photography*

*Honoring our legacy…. Read about some of the changes we made inside & out in 2023 at Wilkes County Hardware*https://hardwarelifewife.com/2023/12/27/reflections-and-highlights-of-2023/

What motivates us to keep moving forward… especially during “roller coaster” times????? In other words, WHY DO WE DO WHAT WE DO at Wilkes County Hardware???
The answer is simply YOU!!! Our customers are our driving force. We have been so blessed to have formed many new friendships and made lasting connections with our customers, helping them meet their needs each and every day.

Those personal connections are also applicable to our staff. Our staff at Wilkes County Hardware has been an amazing part of our story. We have been able to hire staff with hardware expertise, or offer on the job training as in my case…. AND I have been able to reconnect with former students, watching them learn and grow as employees. Leaving us, as they head off to college, or work, taking away with them valuable insights and knowledge that they will take into adulthood. That’s success in my book.

Our business story is simple. We thrive on interaction with our customers and our greater community. Without that, we would not exist. We have heard too many stories about how old, vintage, authentic hardware stores are just not around anymore, and we are thankful that our community still supports our local hardware store.

Lastly, I know we both think and spend differently based on our learned business experiences…. As a result, we have decided that supporting locally owned businesses in our community is important to our community success. We eat at locally owned restaurants, and make purchases from local businesses. After all, the community supports our business and we will reciprocate helping to grow our local economy.

The Hardware Life – A wife's journey into the hardware business