NEENAH, Wis. (WFRV) – A Fox Valley hardware store will close after more than 150 years in business.
Signs announcing that the business will close and that a liquidation sale will begin on Tuesday morning fill the glass on the front door of Krueger’s True Value hardware store. It opened in 1866 and the family-owned business is on its fifth generation of owners.
“I remember in kindergarten, what do you want to be when you grow up and I said I want to work at Krueger’s, so my wish came true,” co-owner Brian Webb told Local 5 News on Monday afternoon.
German immigrant William Krueger opened up the store in 1866, the year after the American Civil War ended. It spent the first 100 years in downtown Neenah before moving to its present location on Winneconne Avenue.
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Webb said that he and his brother Jim will retire soon and because they weren’t able to find somebody to take over the hardware store they had to make the difficult decision to close.
“The focus has simply been on the customer and after that on the customer,” Brian Webb said. ”Opening up the store at two in the morning if their sump pump went out. That’s the type of thing you do for your neighbors, and that’s how we feel our role is in the community (we are your) neighbors.”
Webb closed the store on Sunday and Monday to prepare for the liquidation sale that begins on Tuesday. He said the goal is to sell everything before they announce an official closing date.
Right now, he said they’re reflecting on the memories they’ve made across all these years and focusing on thanking their customers and employees.
“I just hope that they feel like we were honest business people, cared for their well-being, and provided quality merchandise and services,” he said. “Longevity is one thing, but more important just how you treat the customers.
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Many customers learned about the hardware store’s impending closure on Monday afternoon when they arrived at the store. This included Don Lorenz, who said he’s been shopping here for 35 years.
“Whenever I have a question related to a project that I have going on at home, they’ve been very helpful,” he said. “It’s extremely disappointing to see these signs up here and realize that they’re going to be gone. We get a personal service here that we don’t get in the big box stores. I feel a connection with the owners.”
Longtime employees also said this news makes them sad, saying the people here feel more like family than just co-workers. Steve Shaurette has worked at the hardware store for 17 years as a machine mechanic.
“I just loved working on the equipment, getting it right and running good and the customers, most of the customers were great,” he said. “I got teary eyed, it is sad.”
