DANVILLE — Mohican Hardware is a literal dream come true for local small business owner Sam Raber.
“It’s basically been my dream for years, since I was a teenager actually, to have a hardware store,” said Raber. “We did have a small, local hardware store years ago. I used to go in there and dream about having my own hardware store.”
“For 10 years I worked at a mill where we made interior trim doors and stair parts and stuff,” said Raber. “I decided that I wanted to go out into the field and do more of the construction part of it, and I did that for 18 years. I really enjoyed being out there and seeing all that, but in the back of my mind I always had this dream of being a retailer. Watching my chance to do so, I finally came across this building, which was a maintenance shop for a previous owner.”
Raber is optimistic about the future of his business, which is located at 21100 Pealer Mill Road, Danville. He is also happy to have the support of his sons who help him run pretty much every aspect of the shop with their unique and individual areas of expertise.
“It’s seemingly going well,” said Raber. “I’m happy and I’m really pleased to have my three sons in here. They are helping me with this and they are enjoying it. At first I wasn’t sure if this is what they wanted to do or if they wanted to continue in construction, and now I don’t think I can push them out the door because they like it that much.”
“That’s what I’ve been wanting is to do something so all my sons can help here,” said Raber. “I have three sons. Each one has their part here. We do the typical hardware, power tools, some outdoor furniture; even kayaks. We have hunting goods, trapping, fishing and camping. My oldest son really likes that part of it, so he takes care of that. My next son is good with the hardware. He likes to stock the store. The third one is very good at the cash register and making phone calls. It makes a good team.”
Mohican Hardware isn’t your typical hardware store. The store has much more to offer than just the typical stuff that one would find at any local hardware store.
“We have all different types of grills, wood and coal stoves, and the coal for them in bulk or in bagged; we have all of the septic tanks and systems for people that do the septics and the plumbing for that besides all of the typical hardware,” said Raber. “Power tools are really big. The cordless world is going crazy. There is so much improvement in cordless tools, so we have a lot of features in that.”
Raber’s optimistic views include the expansion of recognition that he hopes his special hardware store will garner in the community and beyond.
“Hopefully this will keep growing and our goal is to provide the service that the community needs and the surrounding areas,” said Raber. “We have competitive pricing and quality products, and we have the locals here, but we also want to draw people from further away too.”
For additional information, call 740-599-5080.
