C.B.H.F.
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Class of 2015
Walter Hachborn, started his career in 1938 as an employee of Hollinger Hardware. In 1950 he purchased the business with two partners and successfully grew the business from $245,000 in 1950 to $3.5 million in 1963.
The dream that Walter had was to find a way to ensure the survival of the independent retail hardware and building material dealers in Canada. He studied methods where regional dealer groups pooled their buying and distributed the product among themselves, and also the concept of dealer-owned companies where centralized warehouses distributed the products to their dealer members. He visualized this method to be the most effective and started planning the structure of such an organization. Home Hardware Stores Limited came into existence on January 1, 1964.
Through the development of programs and benefits, one hundred and twenty-two dealers were attracted to the program and agreed to purchase Hollinger Hardware which was arranged for January 1st, 1964. Sales in the first year to dealer members were $4,103,140. In 2014 Home has grown to 1,062 stores located across Canada and $5.4 billion in retail sales.
Walter Hachborn passed away in 2016 but the legacy he left will remain through time.