Meet the 2023 STIHL Hardware All Stars: Ill., Ind., Iowa
Here are the next three in the latest class of STIHL 2023 Hardware Store All Stars that represent community-oriented, customer-focused, high-performance hardware-and-building-supply retailing at its finest. From each of the 50 states, HBSDealer recognized an All-Star performer.
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You can read about all 50 honorees here in the digital issue of HBSDealer. Additionally, HBSDealer.com will highlight a handful of honorees one batch at a time. This year’s superstar performers from Illinois, Indiana and Iowa are featured below.
Illinois
New owner Vernon Kuhns bought the store in Tuscola – that serves the entire county’s farmers, businesses and contractors and “has a massive STIHL offering” – from Jim Higgins last fall. Higgins started the company more than 50 years ago; today he manages it with his son Brent. The home center includes a large rental department, and their appliance service center has on-staff technicians. They also deliver propane to rural farmhouses.
Indiana
A small renovation turned into a total expansion of the Hershberger family’s Shipshewana store. The on-site door processing plant, metal roofing facility, and design capabilities serve the large community of Amish home builders. Their tool-repair business handles 7,000 jobs yearly, and a team loads up trucks daily to reach 400 area woodworkers with deliveries. They recently built a new 18,000-square-foot store in Nappanee.
Iowa
Curt and Julie Fisk said, “we’re proud that the children have remained in the family business to continue what began in 1977.” Not only proud of their children but their 17 grandchildren: “They too want to be part of the action by volunteering at the store.” An Orgill dealer, they operate three retail locations in Cresco, Monona and Decorah. Their son Paul runs the Decorah store. Also, Curt’s brother Tim and his wife Diane are part of the business.
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Special thanks to STIHL for its support of the ALL-STAR project. (Note: Not all honorees are STIHL dealers.)
