Remembering 84 Lumber’s Joe Hardy; a design project for Tractor Supply.

Joe Hardy, 84 Lumber founder, dies at 100

Milestone for Project Fusion

Among Joe Hardy’s many titles were husband, father, great-grandfather, founder, businessman, entrepreneur, philanthropist, art collector, lumber lord, and former lord of the manor of Henley-in-Arden.

Joseph A. Hardy III, the founder of 84 Lumber and a largerthan-life figure to many, died on his 100th birthday on Jan. 7.

A statement from the company reads: “Even with his vast success, Joe always remembered what matters most: people. He helped make the American dream real for so many, and he will be greatly missed.

“Joe proved that nothing is impossible by willing himself to his 100th birthday. His family is beyond proud of him for making this final accomplishment.”

Born in 1923, in Upper St. Clair township, outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Hardy graduated from high school in 1941, and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Forces serving as a lieutenant and Air Forces radioman during World War II.

After the war, Hardy opened Green Hills Lumber in Bridgeville, Pa. A few years later, he pooled resources with his two brothers and two of his friends to pay for land and buildings for a new venture — 84 Lumber. Before his death, Hardy shared the secret to his longevity: “Stay contemporary and stay with the times as they continue to evolve. The basic principles don’t change too much whenever you are dealing with human nature.” Joe’s daughter Maggie Hardy offered the following remembrance: “My father was always asking, ‘What’s next?’ He wanted to conquer the next challenge or make something even better. He taught us never to be satisfied and push to be better today than we were yesterday. He had an infectious outlook and personality that inspired people. He never missed an opportunity to teach a lesson in business or in life. And he valued his people more than anything.”

A Thompson’s Station, Tenn., store marks the 500th remodel under Tractor Supply’s Project Fusion initiative, which looks to pump new life into older Tractor Supply locations.

The Thompson’s Station location includes a new Carhartt store-within-astore area, which is one of the largest throughout the Tractor Supply fleet.

The Nashville-based farm-and-ranch giant operates about 2,030 stores in 49 states along with 180 PetSense by Tractor Supply stores. The latter received a new banner earlier this year and has been undergoing its own overhaul program. Project Fusion outfits new stores and retrofits existing Tractor Supply stores with an improved layout for convenient and accessible shopping, including a Customer Service Hub with upgraded digital tools and an expanded assortment of apparel, tools, hardware, pet food, animal feed, and more, the retailer said.

As part of the initiative, some stores have added a new Garden Center with an expansive assortment of lawn and garden products, while others now offer a self-serve pet wash station or an on-site veterinary clinic.

The Thompson’s Station store has been part of the Tennessee community for 17 years.

Tractor Supply Chief Marketing Officer Kimberley Gardiner, Chief Stores Officer John Ordus, and Store Manager Naomi Imgrund in Thompson’s Station. The Project Fusion remodel includes self-service kiosks.