But the concept of a 'mom and pop' hardware store celebrating a new location in this day and age - that's a bit more unusual.

 

"Today was our ribbon cutting. We had a great turnout," said owner Toma Leveto. "The customers in Struthers and the community are super excited to have a local business in the hardware industry there."

Leveto would know; Handyman Hardware stores have been in his family for more than 40 years. We caught up with him at the one in Niles just hours after the celebration at the Struthers store.

 

"Time is money, and you can't buy time," Leveto said.

 

And the secret to standing the test of time in his mind is simple.

 

"Comes down to service. For people being able to come in and get the help you need when you need it," he said. "You have to have someone knowledgeable who can actually put those items in someone's hand with confidence."

 

Some of those items are ones you might not expect to find in a hardware store.
The staff does everything from blade sharpening to fixing windows and screens. All seemingly basic things that fill an important niche, and deliver an experience Leveto says just can't be found at a big box.

 

"Super clientele, repeat customers every day," Leveto said.

 

Those customers, Leveto says, have become like family.
And in this age of Amazon and big chains, he hopes it's just the beginning.

 

"(We) just signed a 10-year lease, so we plan to be there for at least a couple decades or more," he said.