Outstanding in the Industry

The North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) regularly recognizes retailers who are leaving their mark on the independent channel. As part of the 2023 NHPA Independents Conference, we will be honoring outstanding individuals with the Young Retailer of the Year and Top Guns programs.

Young Retailer of the Year

Now in its 27th year, the Young Retailer of the Year program recognizes high-achieving retailers age 35 and younger who represent the next generation of the independent home improvement channel.

This year’s class features a record 11 honorees, who were selected from different retail categories and chosen based on wide-ranging criteria such as career accomplishments, community involvement, ongoing education within the industry and extracurricular activities.

“Being chosen as a Young Retailer of the Year is a high honor. Each year, manufacturers, retailers and wholesalers in the industry join us in celebrating the honorees’ contributions to their communities and the industry,” says Scott Wright, executive director of advanced retail education programs for NHPA.

Sponsors of the 2023 Young Retailer of the Year program include American Hardware and Lumber Insurance (AHLI), Arrow Fastener, Intertape Polymer Group (IPG), Midwest Fastener, Pony Jorgensen, PPG, STIHL and The Wooster Brush Company.

MULTIPLE STORES

Ryan Clouse
Owner, Clouse Family Ace Hardwares
Ryan’s aptitude for thinking outside the box has brought processes and systems to his family’s operation that have saved the company hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Austin Diehl
Director Of Retail Sales, Randy’s Hardware
After a store fire in 2022, Austin helped find ways to keep the employees staffed and rebuild the store in a new location and found efficient ways to operate the store. In just 100 days, Austin helped Randy’s Hardware reopen its fourth location.

Scott Fines
Owner, Fines Home Hardware Building Centre
With an innovative approach that blends engineering and hardware, Scott offers customers a seamless transition from design to material supply. Scott is also active in the community and is committed to ongoing professional development.

Michael Gleason Jr.
Assistant General Manager & Head Purchaser, Gleco Paint
With a desire for efficiency, Michael has made big impacts at Gleco Paint through the implementation of several technologies, systems and processes.

Matt Lambert
Regional Vice President, Nation’s Best
From growing his family’s local lumberyard into a juggernaut to today serving as regional vice president of Nation’s Best, overseeing 14 stores in Oklahoma and Texas, Matt Lambert has an impressive resume.

John Luhring
Owner, Parkersburg Hardware and Garden Center and Allison Hardware and Floral Center
After a tornado devastated his hometown, John saw firsthand how a community comes together. Nearly a decade later, John opened a local hardware store to serve his community after the previous one closed.

Dalton Meny
Head of Operations, Meny’s True Value
After graduating from college in 2019, Dalton joined his family’s business. Dalton has implemented innovative programs and processes, including streamlining pricing structure, centralizing accounts receivable and creating store websites.

Katie Prus
Manager and Part Owner, Abbotsford Paint and Decorating, Abbotsford Commercial Paints, Chilliwack Decorating Centre and Garrison Village Paint and Decorating
Despite initially having no interest in the paint business, Katie returned to her family’s operation in 2011 and started to wholeheartedly embrace her career path in 2022, helping the business acquire two additional locations.

OVER $3 MILLION IN SALES

Travis Hellvig
Operations Manager, Hartford Building Center
Travis is no stranger to overcoming challenges. From a pandemic to a major storm to family health issues, his operation has continued to thrive thanks to Travis’ work and vision.

UNDER $3 MILLION IN SALES

Jessica Talerico
Owner, Old Lyme Hardware
While her background is in the restaurant industry, Jessica didn’t let a steep learning curve and lack of home improvement knowledge deter her dreams of owning a hardware store, purchasing Old Lyme Hardware in 2021.

Zane Watkins
General Manager and Co-Owner, Village Hardware
Having grown up in his family’s hardware store, Zane couldn’t see himself in any other industry. As time has gone on, he has become the general manager of Village Hardware as well as co-owner with his father.

Learn more about each Young Retailer of the Year honorees here.

Top Guns Award

The Top Guns Award program recognizes individuals as representatives of their operations who—through the work of engaged, dedicated staff—are making marks in their local communities. These businesses represent the gamut of independent home improvement operations, from a full service lumberyard to farm stores to core hardware.

Top Guns honorees are chosen for their commitment to and passion for the independent home improvement channel. They are pillars of innovation and have helped grow their businesses through strategic leadership with consideration for their communities and teams. This year’s honorees were specifically chosen for their focus on utilizing technology to improve operations.

TJ Colson
President, Wilco Stores
TJ Colson is the president of Wilco Stores, a division of Wilco, a regional farmer-owned cooperative that operates 26 retail farm stores in Oregon, Washington and California. He started his career with Wilco as a part-time warehouser while attending Linn Benton Community College and Oregon State University and has been serving as president of Wilco Stores since early 2022. TJ and his wife Samantha live on her family’s fourth generation grass seed farm in Oregon, and together they own and operate two small businesses.

Eric Hassett
Owner, Hassett Hardware
Eric Hassett is a third-generation owner and president of Hassett Ace Hardware, a five-store operation in the San Francisco Bay Area. Hassett returned to the family business after college, and under his leadership, the company has grown from one store with 10 employees to five stores and 160 employees. Hassett is a strong believer in having an exceptional cultural foundation in the family’s stores to ensure they are providing the best service possible to the communities they serve.

Scott Sommers
President, Hartville Hardware and Lumber
Scott Sommers serves as the president of Hartville Hardware & Lumber, the largest independently-owned hardware store in the U.S. As a fourth-generation family member, Scott is a driving force in reinforcing the company’s founding philosophy passed down by his grandfather to always put God first, give back to the community and treat others how you would like to be treated. Scott was born and raised in Hartville, where he resides with his wife, children and much of his extended family.

Learn more about each Top Guns honoree here.

Join the 2023 Top Guns Award Reception as the grand finale of the conference. The reception is graciously sponsored by STIHL and the National Hardware Show.