Spreading the love this Valentine’s Day also includes showing some love for your local small businesses, like Schneider's Hardware. Started in 1923, the business has been passed down through generations of the same family, and sees customers from eight different towns in the area.
One of the draws for local businesses like this one is their attention to the needs of their community. The towns that frequent Schneider’s are home to houses that are 75 to 100 years old or more, and much of the plumbing and locks for those houses are no longer made. Not only does Schneider's offer the parts, saving customers from replacing the entire system, they offer convenience of being only a few minutes away.
When Schneider’s Hardware first opened, they were able to make a name for themselves based on their idea of service, which included not only answering questions, but sometimes doing basic plumbing and carpentry to help install the part. This tradition is carried into the present day. “Very often,” Roger says, “we know [people] enough where we know their needs. One of the key things that we offer is not just the variety of selection of items, but also the service.”
In being one of the last independent hardware stores, they are able to build meaningful rapport with their customer base, and given their unique inventory and detailed solutions, that's one of the reasons why they’re still around. For him, and for the legacy of the company, it’s not just about doing things for others. “It didn't take long,” he says, “years ago, to find out that the most rewarding thing about being involved is not what you get out of it. It's what you give back.”
"When somebody comes here, the minute they walk in, they will get the old tin ceiling, the old wooden floor, the barrels of nails. They'll get an old cash register, and it takes you back, you know, to a nostalgic time- (a time when Thomas Edison himself purchased a specialty lightbulb at the stores historic shop). Once you're here with your problem, you're going to get expert advice on your project.
The whole idea is when you come here, people trust that we'll give them the right item. Not just the right item, but the least expensive item that will do the job the quickest and easiest way. I think that's something people expect and look forward to."
www.schneiderhardware.com
973-325-2222