HADLOCK’S HOUSE OF PAINT

ith a century of business and three generations of ownership under their belts, Hadlock’s House of Paint is happy to be continuing to service their neighborhood of Rochester, New York as a centenarian. The store’s current owner and president, Terry Dacey, who took over the business in the 90s from his father, has been with the company for 50 years, and prides himself on the fun, family-friendly atmosphere he’s cultivated in his stores. “I think it’s a big part of employee retention,” Dacey speculates, acknowledging a lack of suitable applicants in recent years. When you’ve been around as long as Hadlock’s has, it’s easy to feel ingrained in the fabric of the city, eager to give back, whether it’s in the form of a positive environment for staff and customers or good old-fashioned generosity. The company made national headlines last year with a massive donation of PPE - 6,000 3M N95 masks to their local hospitals. Prior to COVID19, Dacey also volunteered extensively with populations experiencing homelessness, something he’s looking forward to resuming once applicable programs start back up again. For now, they’re feeling grateful for making it through a challenging year, particularly with the opening of a brand-new store which specializes in hardware, something a little out of Dacey’s comfortable area of expertise.

When Hadlock’s first opened in 1921, they specialized in motor oil and paint, securing a spot as a fixture in the Rochester hardware community. In 1973, Walter Hadlock’s son-in-law, Donald Dacey, purchased the company, later passing the torch to the store’s current president, Terry.

Today, Hadlock’s is an operation comprised of paint stores, their newly opened hardware store, and 26 employees in total. They also have a 28,000 square foot warehouse to support their wholesale business, a massive distribution network that services New York state and Northern Pennsylvania, making them the largest Benjamin Moore dealer in Western New York. Their business is primarily wholesale, with some retail, wood finishes, and commercial coatings.

We’ve been lucky to have Hadlock’s a part of the ALLPRO family since 1999. Among the discounts and product line selection, Dacey also values the promotional opportunities that membership provides. Understanding it takes a village, Dacey also has rave reviews for his primary paint dealer, Benjamin Moore. “They’ve done an outstanding job. Their ability to provide us with [competitive] prices, they’ve certainly supported us. We are… a wholesale business and that makes us unique. They’ve been a partner in that and supported us for decades.”

A piece of advice passed along to Dacey as he officially took over the business has remained a constant in the back of his mind throughout the years, encouraging an adaptability that has no doubt been instrumental in Hadlock’s success. “A friend said to me, ‘you can’t run your father’s business. It’s a different world today than the one you grew up in’,” recalls Dacey. For him, that means doing this his own way with willingness to evolve with the times that is evident. They’ve invested in the regular digital marketing staples like social media and Google, helping their stores stay on the map for newer homeowners or industry insiders who intuitively reach to their computers for guidance. Their website is semi-shoppable as of now, but they are actively preparing for a launch of a full-service e-commerce site which will significantly impact their capacity to translate the Hadlock’s experience through an online medium. Hadlock’s marked their 100th year in business by branching out and diversifying with the opening of their first hardware store. “We would have loved to have done all kinds of huge things,” acknowledges Darcy, “but with COVID-19 it had to be downplayed a little bit.”

We’re hoping Hadlock’s gets to have the big celebration they deserve soon, but in the meantime, please join us in congratulating them on 100 years of hard work and success!

Q:

favorite benjamin moore color and why ? I DON’T HAVE ONE! I TELL MY CUSTOMERS I’M THE FURTHEST THING FROM A DECORATOR, SO I CAN EXCEED THEIR EXPECTATIONS.

Q: Night owl or early bird? A: Night owl.

Q: Where are you most looking forward to travelling post-pandemic? A: San Francisco, to meet my new grandson for the first time.