Conquering the problems of suburbanization, levels of competition and a world wide pandemic, Kendall Hardware not long ago celebrated 75 a long time of doing company in Clarksville.
What commenced as a feed keep has progressed into the go-to source for home and gardening requirements in the location. Kendall Components credits its accomplishment to “good, outdated purchaser provider, going the extra mile to support the shopper solution their question or resolve their difficulty.”
The milestone was noticed with a client appreciation occasion showcasing visitor sellers, a barbecue lunch and a quilt raffle that includes blankets produced by Sandy Kendall, an avid quilter.
The Kendall tale started off in the early 1920s, when Franklin and Mabel Kendall recognized the Bon Espoire, or Fantastic Hope Farm, on what right now is the River Hill Village Heart. Their son, Charles, opened a shop to provide feed to community farmers. When the farm was sold in 1947, a dwelling was designed for Franklin and Mabel on the other aspect of Route 108, wherever Clarksville Square is now positioned. A Earth War II surplus Quonset hut was built future doorway and opened as Chas N Kendall Basic Products. The shop, affectionately referred to as “roundy store” or the “tin can retailer,” marketed fuel, groceries and feed. Charles ran the shop till his dying in August 1967 at the age of 65.
Immediately after Charles died, his son, Hugh Kendall and spouse Sandra managed the keep. They included their youngsters, Emily and Steven, in the relatives small business. By 1975, the retail store targeted largely on hardware. When options to add River Hill as the closing village in Columbia were being finalized in the 1990s, Hugh and Sandy recognized that their home following to the small business was much more useful as a commercial home. They designed a new household down the road and turned their previous dwelling into retail and office house. Emily opened an insurance plan business office in the constructing, and Steven joined the spouse and children enterprise comprehensive time following graduating from college or university.
A faithful shopper base helped Kendall Components endure when an additional much larger components shop opened in Clarksville that featured 10 times the retail area. Soon after five many years, Kendall experienced outlasted the level of competition. The family members acquired the rival small business and moved to its area on Clarksville Pike. In 1996, on a rainy and foggy January night, mates and neighbors aided to go all of the store’s items and it was ready to open up the subsequent morning.
In 1997, Hugh retired. Steven and his mom, Sandy, ran the store until her retirement in 2015. Steven then took above functions 50 yrs following his grandfather, Charles Kendall, initial opened the store. Nowadays, 75 years following its inception, the store serves the Clarksville local community with 30 workers.
“We are here to assist our neighbors by their components and gardening problems. Often it just arrives down to lending an empathetic ear combined with guidance,” said Chris Mobley, a Kendall Components associate. “If we cannot assist them, we may well refer them to someone who can. If their working day has been produced a tiny little bit greater, or a minimal bit easier, then our purpose has been attained.”
The household enterprise has specified back to the local community in numerous strategies. Countless scout troops have been offered permission to offer cookies or popcorn in entrance of the retailer in excess of the a long time. The retail store also hosts VFW Post 7472′s once-a-year yellow ribbon Xmas tree to honor these who served in the navy. Congratulations to the Kendall family!
Mail Clarksville area news to share in this column to Susan Soldavin at [email protected].
