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Updated: 6:48 PM Mar 5, 2010
C.M. Love Hardware Closing After 100 Years; Loyal Customers Saddened
C.M. Love Hardware is closing its doors -- ending an era of personal service and community involvement. After 100 years in business, the memories run deep.
Posted: 6:36 PM Mar 5, 2010Reporter: Carrie Cline Email Address: carrie.cline@wsaz.com |
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13 Comments 
UPDATE from 5pm Newscast
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- A lot can happen in 100 years. But, from floods and wars to depressions and recessions, one downtown Huntington store has endured it all -- and with grace.
But now, C.M. Love Hardware is closing its doors -- ending an era of personal service and community involvement. After 100 years in business, the memories run deep.
It's with a heavy heart that Janice Brumfield helped her customers on Friday.
She started working at Love Hardware nearly 40 years ago. Customers like Mason Finley have truly been her extended family.
"We really look after our customers and take care of them," Brumfield said. "If we don’t see them for a while, we call them and check up on them."
Longtime customer Mason Finley said, "This really is like family here, and I’m going to miss them."
Finley has visited Love Hardware a lot during the last 30 years. He runs a lawn care business, and one section of the store has been his second home for several decades.
"I can always come here and find what I need," he said. "They’re not like Home Depot where sometimes you can’t find things, and they tell you they’re not carrying those things anymore."
John Mandt Jr. has been a loyal customer of the store ever since he can remember. He started coming to the store as a young boy with his grandfather.
"We'd park out back in the alley, and he’d come through and say his hellos to everyone and everyone knew him," Mandt said.
As a local business owner of Stewarts Hot Dogs, Mandt knows the challenges of keeping the doors open in this day and age and applauds Love Hardware for 100 years of success.
"We should be celebrating the kind of service and success they’ve had," Mandt said. "That’s truly an honor."
The Love Hardware owners, Gary and Nancy Pommerenck, wish to thank all of their employees and customers for their years of loyalty and service.
While Love Hardware is leaving, its building will live on. Campbell Woods, a local law firm, will occupy the space.
ORIGINAL STORY
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -- It’s the end of an era for a downtown Huntington business.
The owners of C.M. Love Hardware announced Friday they are closing their doors for good after 100 years.
Gary and Nancy Pommerenck say they agreed to sell out their remaining lease so that the Campbell Woods law firm can renovate and occupy all three levels of the building.
Right now, the planned last day for the store, located at 10th Street and 3rd Avenue, will be April 10.
Starting Saturday, the store will start liquidating all products, fixtures and equipment.
According to a press release, "C.M. Love & Co. Hardware was born in 1910 out of a passion by Charles Marion Love to provide better housewares, hardware and customer service to the people of the Tri-State area.
"From its humble beginnings on a 20 foot wide store front on 3rd Avenue to the current location in the same block, the employees of C.M. Love & Co. have always strived to put the customer first and treat people like they would like to be treated. They endured floods, wars, depression and recessions, but always strived to do their best to take care of their customers.
"Nancy and Gary Pommerenck wish to publicly thank all of our loyal employees, past and present, for their hard work and sincere interest in taking care of the needs of those individuals that entered our store and our lives over the years, and for earning the reputation of providing quality products and genuine customer service to all. We considered all of our employees and customers to be family and we hope you felt the same way.
"Thanks for the memories Huntington. We hope yours are as sweet as ours.
Sincerely,
Gary and Nancy Pommerenck"
Latest Comments
I will truly miss them....I remember when the power was off several days last year....picked up 2 kerosene heaters at a bargain price.....always bought my lawn mowers, weed eaters and many more things...always treated like family.....thanks for being there for all of us...good luck to one and all!
Sad to see them go. Though I am not a long time customer or resident of the area, visited that store many times. Each time was waited on promptly and helped with whatever it was I needed. We are losing this to a bunch of LAWYERS. Egad! I hope they are defense lawyers and not corporate or bill collecting ones. There are way tooo many of those now.
I bet most of you people commenting about this bought most of your hardware supplies at Lowes and Walmart. As a local business owner I strongly support hometown business and shop there, they might be a bit higher but that is your own community. When was the last time you asked a question at a large chain store and did not get a "DUH"?
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