Home Hardware Announces Store of the Year - Canada's Largest Independent Home Improvement Retailer Honours Top Store

ST. JACOBS, ON, April 19, 2013 /CNW/ - Brantford Home Hardware, Brantford, Ontario is top of the class for retailing excellence for 2012. The Home Hardware location is the recipient of the 2012 Walter J. Hachborn Store of the Year Award, selected from close to 1,100 stores across Canada for achieving the highest standards in retailing, merchandising, Staff performance, and overall quality and service.

Brantford Home Hardware was recognized for its outstanding performance at Home Hardware's Annual Shareholders' Meeting in St. Jacobs on April 15. The award was presented to Dealer-Owners Dave Liesemer and Ron Cicuttini by Paul Straus, President and CEO, Home Hardware Stores Limited.

"We are truly honoured to be selected as Home Hardware's Store of the Year," said Dave Liesemer. "Our Staff work tirelessly each day to provide the very best customer service and expert advice to every customer, contractor, and home renovator that walks through our doors. These are qualities Home Hardware is known for and we take great pride in being a part of the Home family," continued Ron Cicuttini.

Presented annually to the top gold store from 23 Proud of My Home Award recipients, the Walter J. Hachborn Store of the Year Award recognizes the store that has excelled in retailing from the previous year. All Proud of My Home Award recipients demonstrate strong Staff performance, superior customer service, excellence in interior and exterior store presentation and active participation in Dealer network initiatives.

Brantford Home Hardware has been a recipient of the Proud of My Home Award for the past nine years, first receiving this accolade in 2004, and both Dealer-Owners have a long history in the Home Hardware family. Ron Cicuttini served on the Board of Directors of Home Hardware Stores Limited for seventeen years, from 1995 to 2012, and was the recipient of the Top Gun Award from the North American Retail Hardware Association in 2012 for his exceptional strategic vision and business acumen.

Dealer-Owner Dave Liesemer's family has been a part of Home Hardware's story since the very beginning. Liesemer Home Hardware, located in Mildmay, Ontario, is one of the original 122 stores who began Home Hardware Stores Limited in 1964 and is owned by Dave's brother, Pete Liesemer. The family has 140 years in the hardware business in Canada and continues to remain devoted to offering superior service to their community. Liesemer Home Hardware is celebrating their 140^th anniversary with a ribbon cutting ceremony on Thursday, May 2 at 10:30 a.m.

"Brantford Home Hardware embodies everything the Walter J. Hachborn Store of the Year Award stands for and is a tremendous representative of the Home brand," said Paul Straus, President and CEO of Home Hardware Stores Limited. "The award is a testament to the hard work Dealer-Owners and their Staff put into their business and is proof that Home Hardware offers the best program for independents in the industry, allowing them to provide their community with tailored quality products and superior service while reaping the benefits of Home's collective buying power allowing Dealer-Owners to offer competitive prices. This is truly the best of both worlds."

About Home Hardware Stores Limited
100% Canadian owned and operated, Home Hardware Stores Limited has a presence in every Canadian province and territory and is the country's largest independent, Dealer-owned hardware, lumber, building materials and furniture cooperative. Founded on January 1, 1964 by 122 independent hardware Dealers, the cooperative now includes close to 1,100 stores, under the Home Hardware, Home Building Centre, Home Hardware Building Centre and Home Furniture banners, with annual collective retail sales of more than $5 billion. Home Hardware's independent Dealer-Owners, recognized by the North American Retail Hardware Association as Canada's best-trained Dealer group, have access to 100,000 quality brand name and private label products, a world-class distribution system and draw upon the power of Home Hardware's network to provide their local communities with top quality products and services at competitive prices.

Image with caption: "Proud of My Home Award recipients are joined by Walter Hachborn (CR), Home Hardware Stores Limited Co-Founder and recognized for retailing excellence at Home Hardware's annual Shareholders' Meeting in St. Jacobs. Brantford Home Hardware Dealer-Owners Dave Liesemer (CL) and Ron Cicuttini (C) receive top honour and are presented with the Walter J. Hachborn Store of the Year Award. (CNW Group/Home Hardware Stores Limited)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130419_C7026_PHOTO_EN_25780.jpg

SOURCE: Home Hardware Stores Limited

For further information:

For more information or to set up a media interview please contact: 

Erin Voth, NATIONAL Public Relations at 416-848-1385 or [e-mail].
Rob Wallace, Public Relations and Promotional Events Manager, Home Hardware Stores Limited at 519-664-4710 or [e-mail].