Nelson's celebrates 60 years in business

A small-town hardware store survives in an era of box stores

By DAVID ERICKSON / Whitefish Pilot

A staple of downtown Whitefish will celebrate its 60th year of doing business this week.

Although Whitefish and the Flathead Valley have undergone enormous transformations since Nelson’s Ace Hardware opened in 1948, with businesses coming and going every year, the store is still going strong.

The hardware store was started by Wilfred D. Nelson and his wife Ruth. Their son Rick and his wife Marilyn own the store now, after the retirement of Rick’s brother Don, who spent 32 years in partnership with Rick.

“The store was a pretty sad affair when my dad bought it,” Rick said. “But here we are, 60 years later. Time goes fast. It’s quite amazing all the things that could have happened, but we’re still here.”

Prior to buying the store, Wilfred ran the “Nickelodeon route” across Montana, stocking his restaurant and bar jukeboxes with the latest records.

After moving to Whitefish, Wilfred and Ruth raised their sons in an apartment above the store. The boys attended Whitefish High School and worked for their parents.

“It was a pretty short commute,” Rick said with a laugh.

In a time of “big-box” stores owned by multi-national corporations, it’s increasingly rare to see a small, family-oriented business last so long.

Rick and Marilyn attribute the success of their business to the approach they take with the community.

“We have to thank our customers,” Marilyn said. “I’m sure half the people in town have been through our doors, because we are very customer-service oriented. We have customers who have been shopping in our store for the entire time. Our employees are also a big reason why we’re still around. We have a great group of people who work for us.”

Marilyn, who also grew up in the area, said some of their employees were born and raised in Whitefish, and they all have expertise in different backgrounds.

“We have artists, former railroaders, a retired army officer. A lot of them come from handyman professions,” she said. “Then there’s Molly (Alongi), who loves everybody that comes in the store. It’s the people who make the business.”

Rick said his business wasn’t particularly hard hit by the influx of huge home-improvement stores to the area, like Lowe’s and Home Depot.

“We really didn’t experience a big decrease in sales,” he said. “Our worst time was in the 1970s during the years of double-digit inflation. We’re just going to continue to do what we’re doing, running our business with a focus on customer service.”

Marilyn gave several reasons why people keep coming back.

“Everyone who walks through the door has a project they’re working on,” she said. “Our employees have the knowledge to help them finish that project.”

Nelson’s Ace Hardware has been a big supporter of the community over the years. They donate money to local sports teams, and provide merchandise to raffle off for various fundraisers.

“We also support Heart of Whitefish, which is dedicated to maintaining the vitality of downtown,” Marilyn said.

The business also supports the permanent endowment fund of the Whitefish Community Foundation, which provides funding to various local endeavors, from the arts to sports complexes, through grants and scholarships.

“We want to give back to the community that supports us,” Marilyn said.

The 2008 Business of the Year Award, presented by the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce, went to Nelson’s. In 1948, it was one of seven hardware stores in town. Today, only Nelson’s remains.

“Back then, it was a railroad and logging town,” Rick explained. “There were a lot of labor-intensive jobs, like inspecting and repairing track and snow-removal. It was just a working man’s town.”

Marilyn agreed with Rick that they haven’t lost any enthusiasm for helping people after all their years in business.

“All of our customers and employees are great,” she said. “It makes it fun to come to work.”