By Matt Fredmonsky
Record-Courier staff writer
Kent residents Phil and Eleanor Simone will miss the convenience of shopping at Kent Hardware, which is preparing to close its doors permanently in September.
“It’s been here since I was this high,” Eleanor Simone said while waving her hand about two feet above the ground.
Eleanor, a lifetime Kent resident, suspects they will both end up shopping outside of Kent for their home improvement needs at either Lowe’s or Home Depot.
“That’s all that’s left,” she said.
Wednesday marked the start of a liquidation sale at the family-owned store, which has operated downtown in two separate locations since 1884. A second family-run hardware operation, Paul’s Do-It, auctioned the contents of its Garrettsville and Middlefield stores earlier this year after closing its Ravenna store in 2008.
Wayne Demmer, the president of Demmer Enterprises, which owns Kent Hardware and a store in Massillon, said he is not sure if the planned four-week liquidation sale will end with an auction.
“We’ll see,” Demmer said. “There are some things we’ll take to the (Massillon) store. For the most part, we’ll try to sell as much as we can.”
Demmer said the store had been filled with people since opening its doors at 8 a.m. Wednesday.
Stewart Spangler, a friend of Demmer’s, visited the store to help with the sale.
“A lot of people have stopped in to express their sadness,” Spangler said. “But you hear some of the stories.”
Many of the stories shared a common thread.
Steve Messino, 84, a lifetime resident of Kent, recalls stopping in countless times during the years past.
“I hate to see the store leave,” Messino said. “We need a hardware store. This is a good hardware store. Now we have to go out of town.”
Previous Articles:
Kent Hardware to close; firm dates to 1884
Aug. 14, 2009
http://www.recordpub.com/news/article/4647480