Glenn Smith, the owner of a Knox County hardware store, has been very busy during the COVID-19 pandemic as people are working more on their homes due to shutdowns.

"We've been staying very busy," Smith, the owner of Glenn's Sales and Services, said. "A lot of people are staying home doing projects they've never done."

Smith, who initially started the business as a lawn and garden center in 1990, turned it into a full-blown hardware store in 2014. 

The biggest challenge for Smith during the pandemic has been trying to locate supplies for customers.

"The issue we're dealing with is coming up with supplies everyone needs," Smith said. "Distributors are running low on supplies, like square-d breakers for electrical boxes."

He added that the factory has been closed for three months due to the pandemic and there is a shortage of that item and several others.

Smith's store is also an authorized Gravely and Stihl dealer, and he said, "we're starting to run into supply issues through Stihl. Trimmers, chain saws ... I have back orders I haven't seen since I've been a dealer."

Smith said many supplies come from China, and a "good percentage of the shelves are empty." 

His store faces competition from big-box stores like Lowe's and Harbor Freight, which is opening nearby. But Smith indicated that they are "all about the numbers," and he is "more about customer service."

The big-box stores, he explained, sell items that are "designed to last a few years."  His store, on the other hand, does not change products but carries items that he himself would buy. 

"I try to sell what I would feel comfortable buying for myself," Smith said.  "I stay away from the cheap items." 

Smith said he listens to his customers and they told him, "keep the better stuff."

"If you want cheap, go to Home Depot or Lowe's," Smith said. "If you want something to last for 20 years or 30 years from now, buy from me."

 Glenn's Sales and Services is at 14620 Cassell Road in Fredericktown.