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Everything higher than 2 feet off the floor is scorched or hardened into long plastic drips where it burned in Valley Supply Hardware during a recent fire set by arsonists.
“It is a total loss. Everything is gone–computers, telephones, inventory,” co-owner Judy Copeland says.
The Rising Sun, Indiana, store belongs to Gary and Judy Copeland, who are active in the North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA). Gary was a member of the NRHA board of directors for several years, and his one-year term as board chairman ended in 2015.
The Copelands have owned Valley Supply Hardware for 35 years, and Gary’s parents started the business 50 years ago.
Gary served as general contractor when they built the 12,000-square-foot building in 2000. The Copelands don’t know yet if they will be able to reopen the store, Gary says.
Police have arrested two 19-year-old men, one of whom was a store employee, and charged them with intentionally setting the fire early in the morning on May 23. No one else was in the building when the fire started, and no one was injured. The state fire marshal has officially identified the cause of the blaze as arson.
The Copelands were shocked to learn that their employee confessed to the crime, which included stealing small products and then setting the store ablaze with kerosene, Gary says. No money or high-priced items were stolen.
“Everybody liked him,” Judy says of the employee. “He was pleasant. He had manners. I don’t know what happened.”
The two suspects allegedly stole low-priced products, such as 85 candy bars, TV and computer monitor spray cleaner, small bottles of WD-40 and lock de-icer, Gary says. He doesn’t know of any motive for the crime.
“The one kid, the employee of the store, could’ve worked a week and bought everything they stole. It was almost like they did it for kicks and they didn’t do it for gain,” Gary says. “When the state police were investigating and asking them questions, they wanted to know what motivated (the suspects) to do it, and they had no answer.”
The Copelands’ son, Bryan, lives in a separate building on the store property, and he was the first to discover the blaze. The sound of aerosol paint cans exploding awakened him around 1:30 a.m. as they burned inside the business. He called the fire department and his parents.
The blaze was so hot firefighters had to cut holes in the building and let the air cool before they could get inside.
“They couldn’t even see their hands in front of their face when they went in with their air packs. That’s when they backed it out and said they would let it cool down first,” Gary says. “I have a lot of respect to the chief down there. He was more intent on making sure nobody got hurt, which I think was absolutely wonderful.”
Even steel beams that are part of the building’s frame are damaged. The entire interior of the store is blackened, and everything inside, including computers and power tools, are irreparably charred or melted beyond recognition, Gary says.
“I love my kids and my wife more than I could ever love a business, but I tell you, it puts a hole in your heart to see all that work go up in smoke,” he says.
