FEELS LIKE HOME

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BY SARA GRAVES

WHEN LONGTIME customer

Tom McManus drives up to Tweedy Lumber & Hardware (Tweedy) in his motorcycle with his long beard blowing in the wind, his three dogs in their custom-made side car, and his booming voice announcing that he’s arrived, it’s hard to miss him.

“When he’s in the store everyone in the store knows he’s in the building; there is no mistaking that he is here,” says Tweedy partner, Dustin Reynolds. “He’s just an all-around joy in the store.

A witty, talented, rustic timber craftsman who loves animals, Tom has been coming to the Rushville, IN., store for years. The staff doesn’t know exactly how long, but they know he was there in August of 2019 when the business was sold to the present owners, the Davis Family and Dustin Reynolds.

Tom, the owner of One Off Woodworking, is as good as they come. Recently, after he had overpaid his bill at the store by $1,500, the Tweedy staff returned the money to him. Tom handed them back a $100 bill and told them to buy pizza with it. “You couldn’t ask for a bigger-hearted gentleman,” Dustin exclaims.

Tom and Tweedy’s other customers have learned that it is more than just a store—it’s a comfortable place that feels like home. “I say we know probably 90% of our customers by name and they know us too,” says Dustin, an earning owner whose percentage of ownership increases yearly. “They know what they’re working on and who to ask about their project as well—who’s good in tools and stuff like that—and they’re able to come and talk to (the person) who knows what they’re talking about.”

It’s the staff’s personal attention that draws the store’s repeat customers back regularly, sometimes up to 10 times a day. “We open from 7:00 in the morning to 7:00 at night,” Dustin says. “We’ll see the same people in and out, so we really get to build that rapport with those guys.”

Listening to their customers and having the products they need in stock has firmly connected Tweedy with its clientele. “Our staff is genuinely interested in the projects our customers are (building),” Dustin says. “Our customers will come back in and show pictures of what they’re doing.”

Since the store is located 18 miles away from the nearest interstate, big box stores have stayed out of town. To set themselves apart from their local, smaller-store competition, Tweedy offers the only lumberyard in town, and the only rental department in 18 miles.

If a customer has an urgent need, such as when a well pump goes out, Dustin, with his background in the mechanical and contracting side, will visit job sites to help a customer. Or, if a customer urgently needs a part, Dustin or the store’s business manager, Shannon Davis, will open the store even after the store is closed.

“I was born and raised here—most people know how to get a hold of me—so I get phone calls at night—as Shannon does,” Dustin shares. “and if at all possible, we will come in and get them the product. There are times when we both will deliver the product to the site if for some reason they can’t get in or they just need a little help with the loading or unloading.

“I’ve had some rental tools that have failed after hours, and I will trade those machines out. Or, we can facilitate getting the building opened up where we can make sure they get the replacement tool so they can complete their job. We are very much a small town store.”

“That’s not something that other companies do, or big-buck stores do either,” adds Shannon, who is in charge of the day-to-day operations along with Dustin and R.D. Browning, the store manager who has been with the company for 45 years. In addition, the company is owned by Bruce Davis, who is not involved in the day-to-day operations.

As Dustin explains, “We’re able to see things differently. (Shannon) does a great job on the things that my background doesn’t. We have two different perspectives. I’m more on the mechanical side—I’m looking at what kind of valves we need to bring in—or the electrical wire or water heaters—and building up the rental department... and Shannon does a really good job with the aesthetics, the home and gardens— all of the stuff that I wouldn’t think about.”

Shannon adds that she has been focusing on drawing more women and younger customers into the store. “We have a lot of women who come in and get paint and they see what we have to offer and become a lifelong customer. I hope to grow that—getting more women—and for more young people, to give them the encouragement that they’re able to do things on their own so they don’t have to hire a contractor. We’re here to help them with whatever projects they have.”

It’s the owners’ differing strengths and flexibility that has enabled the company to succeed. And despite taking over the business and starting a full-store renovation just as the pandemic hit, they have since doubled the company’s sales in the past 3-1/2 years.

“I remember walking out at 4 a.m. that night thinking, ‘Oh my gosh! I don’t know which direction to go right now. We’ve got product everywhere—we’ve got no help—we don’t know (if) we’re going to get shut down.’ Then they tell us, ‘Oh, you can’t get this product,’” Dustin recalls. “We took it day by day—just pushed through and tried sourcing from other areas, other companies. (We) existed the best we could given the circumstances. We had a really good 2020 and 2021.”

“We learned a lot too. I think getting kind of thrown into it and then losing all of our help, we definitely learned a lot for sure,” he adds.

Clearly, one thing they learned is how to treat their customers. And if you are lucky enough to shop at Tweedy’s, keep your ears open; you just might hear Tom’s booming laughter from the next aisle over. MM

SARA GRAVES