Aldergrove’s Pearce Home Hardware is a family tradition that is continuing in the hands of a third generation.
It was 40 years ago, in June of 1977, that a young Bob Pearce joined forces with his father Gordon in assuming proprietorship of the Aldergrove hardware store on 272 Street. It was originally a Marshall-Wells store that had opened in a new building there in 1966, and it was a Link Hardware store when the Pearce family took over, but it soon became a Home Hardware store in the Pearce family’s hands.
Gordon Pearce, along with his brothers, Cece and Doug, had served in the Canadian forces during World War 2 and had come to Langley to jointly operate the Langley hardware store for 30 years, 1946 to 1976, before retiring.
Gordon, however, was not ready to pack it in and told Bob he’d stay on to help for a year or two if Bob wanted to buy the Aldergrove hardware store that was listed for sale at the time.
Thus, Bob began his 40 year run as owner-operator of the Aldergrove Link hardware store, which became Home Hardware in 1980 when Link and Home amalgamated. Bob’s wife Rhonda did the bookkeeping all these years while Gordon actually carried on coming into the store until he passed away in his 93rd year.
Bob says he’s seen a lot of changes over the years, especially in the internet side, but it has remained one of the most popular and enduring general merchandise dealers in this community. Customers can choose from a wide variety of kitchen goods, tools for any job, building materials and hardware, of course — among many other products kept in stock. And if it’s not in stock it can be ordered over the internet.
“I was surprised, but the on-line aspect has become an important part of our business,” says Bob.
“We have a Facebook page and our on-line site can bring in anything we can’t normally stock — like farm gates in different sizes — and it’s nice because the order comes in on Monday if the order is made by Thursday.
“It helps us little guys compete with the big box stores.”
Home Hardware is based in St. Jacob’s, Ontario, and has warehouses in Nova Scotia and Wetaskiwin, Alberta, from which the shipments to its dealer stores are made across the country.
Bob and Rhonda will continue to have an interest in the Aldergrove Home Hardware store, but their son Scott and his sister-in-law Angela (married to Scott’s brother, Cameron) are taking over the full-time reins.
Scott, like his dad, has been involved with the store since his childhood, and has been working full-time at the store for 11 years now. Angela has been working at the store for six years.
“It’s good to have Angela as a business partner because it takes a bit of the load off — we can share the workload and each have some time off instead of having to go at it seven days a week like many small business operators must,” says Scott.
The duo also have a staff of 12, some of whom have been there for 24 years, who bring their expertise to the store.
They are also deeply involved with their community, sponsoring local amateur sports teams and charities. On Saturday, they celebrated the store’s 40th anniversary with the help of the Aldergrove Peewee Friendship Hockey team, which sold hot dogs and drinks at the store to raise funds for their 2019 trip to the tournament in Japan.
Community involvement, knowledgeable advice on the goods they customers need and competitive pricing will ensure that the Aldergrove Home Hardware store will enjoy another 40 years of service to this community.