Just about every small town in existence in North America has at least three things; A grocery store, a gas station and a hardware store. The hardware store doubled as a meeting place, a conversation refuge where amateur and professional builders alike could compare notes and tell a story or two. It was a meeting place.
Amanda Dawe, Owner of Mike’s Hardware, Doors and So Much More recalls that her Father-In -Law ran the original store 45 years prior to her ownership and by all accounts it was very much a store like that described here. Amanda says the original concept is still there but now with a whole lot more inventory:
The original store was in the basement of her Father-In -Law’s house and carried an inventory that the limited square footage would allow. The business did well then and does well now for one main reason, according to Dawe:
Their main offering, as the name suggests, is doors of all shapes and sizes as well as a sizeable inventory of hardware still managed by her Father-In-Law:
Amanda estimates that there might be in excess of eight million pieces of stock which she says makes counting inventory a monumental task. They’re located at 124 Priebe Road between Pembroke and Petawawa at the same location that M and J Enterprises used to be just now under a different name.
Community involvement is something that is very important to Dawe and her family and they have been known for years to get involved pretty much wherever needed and the list is ever growing:
Amanda calls it a “give and take” relationship with the community. They celebrate with their community and in turn the community rallies around them when it comes to fundraising and local events.
A heartfelt thanks to Amanda Dawe for taking the time to chat with me as we wrap up Small Business Week.
Please visit their website at the link below.
https://mikes-hardware-pembroke.edan.io/
(Written By: Richard Evans)
