Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
Part of the Hampton, Virginia, community for well over a century, Patrick’s Hardware began as a general store opened by W.T. Patrick. W.T.’s sons—Cary Patrick and A. Woodfin Patrick—joined the business in 1933 and 1938. W.T.’s grandsons—A. Woodfin Patrick Jr. and Cary Patrick Jr.—are added to the company business in 1947 and 1976.
Currently, Cary Patrick Jr. and his sons Cary Patrick III and Ryan Patrick and the grandson of W. T. Patrick, Albert (Woody) Patrick, own and operate the business.
The company’s secret to being in business for 129 years is leadership’s ability to get along with family partners and having a succession plan in place, Woody says. Leadership is continually looking for ways to grow the business, meet customer needs and expectations and remain competitive against big-box stores, all without forgetting what makes Patrick’s Hardware so unique and special.
“To be a successful business, you must be flexible and willing to adapt to change,” Woody says.
Some examples of the ways Patrick’s Hardware has changed and adapted over the years to keep up with market demands include becoming a Benjamin Moore paint dealer in 1984, expanding lawn and garden in 1990 and adding boating and marine in 2014.
The Patricks also launched Patrick’s Glass, a commercial and residential glass division in 1995. The glass business started in the back room of the hardware store and expanded to a 7,500-square-foot building also located in downtown Hampton. Cary Jr.’s youngest son, Ryan Patrick, is currently managing the glass division.
In 2018, Cary Jr.’s oldest son, Cary E. Patrick III, left his job in Washington D.C. to acquire another glass division named Glass Corp. in Norfolk, Virginia, that primarily focuses on commercial glass installation.
Between the three companies, Carl Jr. says they currently have 30 employees who are vital to the company’s success.
“We wouldn’t be where we are without them,” he says.
The company keeps up with the digital age while still trying to maintain personal relationships with customers.
“We have developed the reputation of having what the customer wants and often get the reply from customers of ‘I knew I should have come here first,’” Woody says. “We enhance the customer experience by being knowledgeable, helpful and personable with our customers.”
Patrick’s Hardware supports the community in several ways, including involvement in the Lions Club and Rotary Club and backing nonprofit organizations like the Mary Jackson Neighborhood Center, Shelton on the Bay Retirement Home and the Mary Peake Child Development Center.
“The plans for the next year and the years beyond is to continue to provide excellent customer service and look for new ways to grow the business to ensure its success for many years to come,” Woody says.
Read more about other retailers with benchmark anniversaries in our Milestones section.
