HOME HARDWARE

The story of Home Hardware begins in 1893, when Henry Gillies opened a blacksmith shop and hardware store on King Street in St. Jacobs. Serving the needs of local farmers, tradespeople, and residents, the business became an important part of the village’s commercial life.

Following Gillies’ death in 1934, the business was purchased by Gordon Hollinger, who expanded the company beyond a local hardware store by creating a wholesale division that supplied independent hardware dealers throughout the region. Under Hollinger’s leadership, the business became known as Hollinger Hardware.

In 1938, a 17-year-old St. Jacobs resident named Walter Hachborn began working at Hollinger Hardware for $8 a week. Starting with sweeping floors, stocking shelves, and serving customers, Hachborn quickly became an important part of the business. His ability to speak both English and Low German helped him build strong relationships with the many Old Order Mennonite farmers who relied on the store for their supplies.

After serving overseas during the Second World War, Hachborn returned to St. Jacobs and continued working to grow the company. In 1949, he partnered with Henry Sittler and Arthur Zilliox to purchase Hollinger Hardware. Together, they expanded the business and strengthened its wholesale operations, laying the foundation for what would become one of Canada’s most successful dealer-owned companies.

By the early 1960s, Hachborn recognized the challenges facing independent hardware stores. Large retail chains were gaining purchasing power, making it increasingly difficult for smaller community stores to compete. His solution was revolutionary: independent hardware dealers could work together, share purchasing power, and collectively own their own wholesale organization.

The idea quickly gained support. In 1963, 122 independent hardware dealers committed to the concept, and on January 1, 1964, they purchased Hollinger Hardware and formed Home Hardware Stores Limited — a company owned by the independent retailers it served.

As the company grew, the original King Street location could no longer meet the needs of the expanding operation. On September 5, 1967, during Canada’s Centennial year, Home Hardware moved its warehouse operations to a new facility on Henry Street in St. Jacobs. The original King Street location was renovated and continued to serve as a modern retail hardware store, preserving the connection to the business’s roots on the site where Henry Gillies first began his enterprise.

Over the decades, Home Hardware continued to grow while maintaining the values that shaped its beginnings: independence, community, and cooperation. Today, Home Hardware Stores Limited is Canada's largest independent home improvement retailer, owned by nearly 1,100 independent dealer-owners across Canada.

From a small blacksmith and hardware shop in St. Jacobs to a nationwide Canadian success story, Home Hardware remains a powerful example of how community-minded business and collaboration can create lasting success.