So the builders of Mifflinburg must have seen it as a beacon of hope that, while other hardware stores were closing their doors, their neighborhood shop was growing. Between 2008 and 2009, Mifflinburg Lumber doubled in size, moving to a more prominent location and adding a massive showroom. Owner Nate Seigels efforts have been a boon for the local economy, and its not just the central PA contractor community who are taking notice. Earlier this month, the North American Retail Hardware Association named Seigel one of its eight Young Retailers of the Year. Now in its 14th year, the award exemplifies successful practices in the hardware industry and this year, cited Seigels ability to grow his business during a down economy.
The construction industry has suffered a serious downturn and a number of businesses have shut down because of that, says Seigel. And in that time, we were looking for ways to expand, how to use the environment we were given to make business better. And I think my story is a little less conventional. Coming from the construction side, I knew what our customers needed and supplied it instead of offering what I wanted and saying take it or leave it.
For Seigel, that story began in college. After working at a Mifflinburg hardware store all four years of high school, Seigel built sets for theater productions in college. When he graduated, he started his own business. In 2006, he returned home to help his father run Mifflinburg Lumber and began working on its expansion.
Under Seigel, the store has expanded more than just their square footage, adding paint, plumbing, electrical and power tool departments. He has also been instrumental in revitalizing the stores contractor co-op program to help local contractors become more successful. And while sales are what make the first impression, according to awards coordinator Tom Delph, community involvement is what Young Retailer of the Year is all about.
14 years ago, we were very much concerned with bringing new blood into the hardware business, and we thought that if we spotlighted what young retailers were doing to be successful, it would encourage others to make the hardware business their passion, says Delph. While we separate into categories based on sales, we also look at how involved they are in the community because the more active they are in the community, the more success they will have.
Source: Tom Delph, North American Retail Hardware Association
Writer: John Steele