Granite Falls Hardware Inc. looks a lot like it did when it opened its doors in the 1920s.
For a start, there are wooden floors that would be impossible to duplicate today without a whole lot of money.
Then there are the nonslip areas where ages ago someone laid down tar and then sprinkled steel shavings on top. They work as well as — if not better than — the rubber mats typically used today.
And then there’s the squeak you make as you walk down the aisles.
“We have the squeakiest floors in town,” said Danny Meeks.
Meeks and his wife, Becky, have owned Granite Hardware for 12 years.
With the floors, Danny Meeks’ collection of old lanterns, and a scattering of old photographs, saws, coffee tins and other collectibles, it looks just like an old independent hardware store that could be found in most downtowns years ago.
Meeks’ store is different, though, because he converted it into an ACE hardware earlier this year. The store still has its old look, but now it has well-stocked new shelves and a sophisticated computer system to keep the inventory up to date.
He said his employees liken his old system to “the eight-track age.”
The update, he said, has saved the store.
Meeks came to the area in 1978 with a 1968 Chevrolet Impala and $11 in his pocket. He quickly found a job in construction and worked his way up as a contractor specializing in concrete.
After he bought the store, Meeks said he continued with his concrete work and regularly put money from that business into the store to keep it alive. But as the concrete business started to phase out with the looming recession, Meeks thought more about the hardware store.
And he kept hearing word that people were planning to bring a new hardware store to town that would be affiliated with a national chain, like ACE.
“I knew I wouldn’t last 60 days with an ACE in town,” he said.
So Meeks moved to act first and sought to add his store, which he believes was one of the few remaining independents, to the chain.
Meeks said it had been years since ACE converted an old store as opposed to building a new one. But he was able to convince them to do it.
He said the building was built in 1898 as a burlesque theatre, later converted to silent films and changed into a hardware store in the mid-1920s. Meeks said he insisted on keeping the floors and on converting some of the older items hanging from the ceiling or the upper part of the walls from product to decor.
The change has been good for Meeks, for his customers and for business.
“There’s no wasted space,” he said, noting that there are many more items for sale now.
“Everyone loves it,” he added. “They used to have to go out of town to find some things. Now they can stay home.”
Meeks said his business is up about 30 percent after he made the shift this spring. He said part of it may be due to the fact that the recession has people doing repairs these days rather than tossing things and buying new.
Meeks, who has a lot of sporting goods in his shop, said he’s also been selling a lot a fire safes and handguns these days, perhaps due to fears of more crime.
“People are locking their stuff up,” he said. “There are also a lot of rumors that the gun laws may be changing.
After President Barack Obama’s election, Meeks said he sold quite a few handguns, as many as two a day. “In one of the months, November or December, we sold 70 handguns,” he said.
Meeks said sales at the 8,500-square-foot store now pay his bills and he doesn’t have to work construction jobs to support the venture.
It’s nice to hear of Meeks’ success. He’s done a good job of upgrading his business with the latest equipment and information while keeping the old look.
Mike Benbow: 425-339-3459, benbow@heraldnet.com.
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