No. 19 Vol. 11
www.mypaperonline.com • 973-809-4784
November 2023
Denville Hardware Adds to Its Over 75 Years of History
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By Steve Sears owie Levine, a third-generation owner of Denville Hardware in Denville, marvels at the over 75-year history of his store. “February 1, 1947,” Levine said. “My wife’s grandmother started the store along with her father (Al Cohen). When he came back from World War II and he had nothing to do, his mother said, ‘Well, you have a GI loan, right? Well, I will match that GI loan if you want to start a business.’ And that is what they did.” The first location was a tiny storefront on Broadway. Eventually, business growth led to the construction of a new building at 21 Broadway, and in 1965 ownership purchased and moved into their current First Avenue location. A more elaborate history of this reliable Denville staple can be found online at www.denvillehardware.com/about-us, but this article will give the reader a more recent rundown. Levine and his current team are now serving thirdgeneration customers. He said, “I remember when I first started – I bought the business when I was 32 - I was serving people whose grandchildren are now customers. My wife went to high school locally and lived about a block away, and many of those people stayed in Denville, or their children stayed in Denville or the area, and we have a multigenerational customer base.” At 9,000 square feet, Denville Hardware, as local stores go, is on the big side, and the location – especially access to many local highways - is great, as is the lure of a beautiful downtown. “Denville is fabulous,” Levine, 68, said. “The downtown area of Denville is unique. It is a healthy town, it is a good town, and has always been a middle-class to upper middleclass town. Retail is retail, and brick and mortar retail is not as lucrative as it was 20 years ago, but we do okay. We try to keep the mix of products fresh and changing to meet people’s requirements.” Denville Hardware does just that and does it well. Although change is indeed always imminent, what stays the same is reliability, as well as loyal and new customers knowing where to shop for hardware and plumbing supplies, building materials and tools, and much more. And speaking of reliability, perhaps the best thing about Denville Hardware, in addition to stocking everything needed for a customer’s home, is the longevity of some
Left to right, Denville Hardware manager Ken Faulkner, owner Howie Levine, and manager John Mercado (courtesy of Denville Hardware)
and the knowledge and customer service of Levine and his team. Levine explained. “I have always had a core of employees that have worked 20 to 30 years for me. We have had some changeover in the last couple of years with people retiring, so I have a fairly new crew. But my store is basically run by two of my managers: Ken (Faulkner), who has been with me since 1987, and John (Mercado), who has been with me about 10 years. We also have a part-time employee who has been with us for 40 years, but he is semi-retired, and he is working only three days a week. In addition to my two managers and my one part-timer who has been with me forever, the other nine employees are all here under two years.” “But,” Levine added, “they all they know what to do and how we want to do it.” Denville Hardware is located at 20 First Avenue in Denville. The phone number is 973-627-2800.
“Peggy was phenomenal from start to finish. She was always kind, always available, always helpful and we never had to worry about a thing while working with her. She is a gem!” Jenn L