For more information, contact:
Roger A. Mahieu, Jr.
(860) 567-1458
TRUE VALUE OF LITCHFIELD RECIEVES CO-OP’S TOP HONOR
OF ‘BEST HARDWARE STORE IN TOWN’
True Value Company names the Litchfield, Conn., hardware store one of its top 13 locations
CHICAGO, Feb. 27, 2013 – True Value Company recently recognized 13 True Value hardware
stores, selected from each of the co-op’s retail regions, as winners of its sixth annual “Best
Hardware Store in Town” international recognition. Father and son team, Roger Mahieu Sr. and
Roger Mahieu Jr. of True Value of Litchfield in Litchfield, Conn., were one pair of winning
retailers honored at True Value’s 2013 Spring & Rental Market, held in Atlanta Feb. 23 through
Feb. 25.
“Winning the Best Hardware Store in Town award is not only rewarding to Roger Jr. and
myself but also a recognition of our associates for a job well done,” said Roger Mahieu Sr. “We’re
both very proud of the award, and can’t thank our associates and customers enough.”
“They’re the ones who really put us over the top,” Roger Mahieu Jr. added. “You need the
right people. You can’t do it alone.
When it comes to service, True Value of Litchfield is well known in the area for it’s
associates’ dedication to helping customers get what they need — for many years.
“We’ve had some long-time employees, some with us close to 20 years, some approaching
the 10- to 12-year range,” Mahieu Jr. said. “It’s really important to the business that our customers
trust those faces and keep coming back to see those faces.”
Since the Mahieu’s bought the store in 1985, they’ve continued to grow with the True Value
Company, utilizing their product suggestions, and services, a strategy the pair says has allowed
them to continue to succeed.
In addition to traditional hardware offerings, True Value of Litchfield also offers full power
equipment, generators, chainsaw trimmers and other accessories. In 1999, the Mahieu’s added Just
Ask Rental to their business, and offer a large selection of construction equipment.
-more-
World Headquarters • 8600 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. • Chicago, Illinois • 60631-3505 • 773.695.5000
And in 2012, father and son spent a year planning to remodel to the co-op’s Destination
True Value (DTV) format, which they said has been instrumental in their continued success.
“Our customers have made us who we are today, with their loyalty and their suggestions,”
Mahieu Jr. said. “In fact, we have comment cards, and we took a lot of them into consideration
when we upgraded to DTV. And it really paid off.”
“We completely remodeled our building when we installed the new DTV, going from a very
small store to quite a large hardware store, at more than 20,000 square feet,” he continued. “The
store is now in first-class condition inside and out, and we get many, many compliments.”
“When I came to work at the store in 1985, my dad started me sweeping floors, and I’ve
since learned the business from the ground up,” said Mahieu Jr., who has been in charge of the
store’s day-to-day operations for the last five years. “I want to keep the business that he established
alive and well, and I am very proud to continue on what my father started.”
Sponsored by True Value Company, the “Best Hardware Store in Town” program
recognizes True Value retailers who exemplify successful retailing. Stores are self-nominated, or
nominated by a peer or retail manager, and go through a series of selection processes until regional
managers narrow down the top candidates. Mystery shoppers then visit each selected store to gain a
customer’s perspective. Stores are evaluated based on physical appearance, product selection,
competitive pricing, promotional sales and customer assistance.
“True Value of Litchfield provides the best shopping experience for its customers,” said
Lyle Heidemann, president and chief executive officer of True Value Company. "They consistently
deliver on the five principles of successful retailing: people, place, product, price and promotion.
And when they do that, they meet customers' needs and expectations, creating a profitable and
sustainable business.”
True Value Company, headquartered in Chicago, is one of the world's largest retailer-owned
hardware cooperatives with sales of $1.9 billion in 2011. The True Value cooperative includes
approximately 4,600 independent retailer locations worldwide operating under the store identities of
True Value, Grand Rental Station, Taylor Rental, Party Central, Home & Garden Showplace and
Induserve Supply. Additional information on True Value Company and its retail identities is
available at www.truevaluecompany.com.
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