HOME HARDWARE

The story begins in the late 1800s when a tinsmith shop operated in St. Jacobs. Over time, the business evolved into a blacksmith shop and hardware store under the ownership of the Gilles family. Alfred Gilles managed the store for many years, making it an important supplier for the agricultural community.

In 1933, a young hardware merchant named Henry Sittler took over management of the store. Not long afterward, the business was purchased by Gordon Hollinger, who expanded it beyond a local hardware store by creating a wholesale division that supplied other independent hardware dealers. The business became known as Hollinger Hardware.

Enter Walter Hachborn

In 1938, an 17-year-old local resident named Walter Hachborn started working at Hollinger Hardware for $8 a week. He swept floors, stocked shelves, and served customers, many of whom were Old Order Mennonite farmers. Because he spoke both English and Low German, he quickly became invaluable to the business.

After serving during the Second World War, Hachborn returned to St. Jacobs and helped expand the company. In 1949, he and Henry Sittler, along with a silent partner, purchased Hollinger Hardware themselves. The business grew rapidly and expanded into larger facilities in the village.

By the early 1960s, Hachborn was worried about the future of independent hardware stores. Large chains had increasing buying power and small-town retailers struggled to compete.

In 1962, Hachborn and Sittler developed a bold idea: what if independent hardware stores joined together, shared purchasing power, and collectively owned their wholesaler? Rather than being controlled by outside investors, the business would be owned by the store owners themselves.

The idea gained traction quickly. By 1963, 122 independent hardware dealers from across Ontario had committed to the concept. On January 1, 1964, they purchased Hollinger Hardware of St. Jacobs and created a new dealer-owned company.

That company became Home Hardware.