Beating the worries of suburbanization, level of competition and a world wide pandemic, Kendall Components recently celebrated 75 decades of carrying out business enterprise in Clarksville.
What started as a feed shop has evolved into the go-to resource for home and gardening demands in the area. Kendall Components credits its achievement to “good, aged purchaser support, likely the added mile to aid the customer reply their query or fix their challenge.”
The milestone was observed with a shopper appreciation celebration showcasing visitor vendors, a barbecue lunch and a quilt raffle that includes blankets produced by Sandy Kendall, an avid quilter.
The Kendall tale begun in the early 1920s, when Franklin and Mabel Kendall established the Bon Espoire, or Great Hope Farm, on what currently is the River Hill Village Center. Their son, Charles, opened a retailer to offer feed to local farmers. When the farm was sold in 1947, a household was constructed for Franklin and Mabel on the other side of Route 108, the place Clarksville Sq. is now situated. A Environment War II surplus Quonset hut was built future door and opened as Chas N Kendall Common Products. The retail store, affectionately referred to as “roundy store” or the “tin can retailer,” sold gasoline, groceries and feed. Charles ran the retail store right up until his loss of life in August 1967 at the age of 65.
Immediately after Charles died, his son, Hugh Kendall and spouse Sandra managed the shop. They concerned their children, Emily and Steven, in the household small business. By 1975, the retail outlet concentrated largely on hardware. When designs to incorporate River Hill as the closing village in Columbia have been finalized in the 1990s, Hugh and Sandy understood that their home next to the company was much more useful as a professional residence. They constructed a new home down the street and turned their former household into retail and place of work room. Emily opened an insurance policy workplace in the making, and Steven joined the family members enterprise complete time after graduating from college.
A loyal customer base aided Kendall Components endure when a further larger hardware retail outlet opened in Clarksville that showcased 10 periods the retail space. Immediately after 5 years, Kendall had outlasted the competitiveness. The family obtained the rival organization and moved to its locale on Clarksville Pike. In 1996, on a rainy and foggy January evening, pals and neighbors helped to shift all of the store’s merchandise and it was completely ready to open up the subsequent morning.
In 1997, Hugh retired. Steven and his mom, Sandy, ran the retail outlet until eventually her retirement in 2015. Steven then took above operations 50 several years right after his grandfather, Charles Kendall, very first opened the retailer. Nowadays, 75 yrs just after its inception, the shop serves the Clarksville group with 30 employees.
“We are in this article to assistance our neighbors by their components and gardening problems. From time to time it just will come down to lending an empathetic ear put together with tips,” said Chris Mobley, a Kendall Hardware associate. “If we can’t help them, we may perhaps refer them to any person who can. If their day has been produced a tiny little bit much better, or a small bit less difficult, then our role has been achieved.”
The household enterprise has given back to the group in several approaches. A great number of scout troops have been given authorization to promote cookies or popcorn in front of the retail store above the decades. The keep also hosts VFW Article 7472′s annual yellow ribbon Christmas tree to honor people who served in the navy. Congratulations to the Kendall spouse and children!
Deliver Clarksville location information to share in this column to Susan Soldavin at [email protected].