De Pere True Value reinvents itself while preserving roots

Lori Kaye Lodes

Contributor

June 1, 2026

DE PERE – For generations, a hardware store has been a fixture in De Pere, changing ownership and names over time while continuing to serve as a neighborhood gathering place and resource.

Now under the ownership of Allen Hoopingarner, De Pere True Value Hardware is entering a new era – one that he said is focused on modernization, expanded and innovative product offerings and renewed visibility, while preserving the personalized service and core hardware necessities that have defined the business for decades.

Hoopingarner said the store celebrated an official grand re-opening last month, following a significant remodel that transformed the longtime hardware destination at 1212 N. Broadway for the first time in decades. 

He said his path to ownership – which will hit its two-year mark this August – began nearly 20 years ago as a teenage part-time employee at the store.

“I started as a high-schooler, and [I have] basically been here ever since in some capacity,” he said. “I said [tongue in cheek] since early on, ‘Someday I’ll own the store.’”

After graduating from high school and earning a degree in criminal justice, Hoopingarner said he initially planned to pursue a law enforcement career. 

Instead, he said he stayed in hardware retail, moving into a full-time role in 2012. 

“About a year and a half ago, the previous owner, Kelly Schattl, said he was ready to step away from owning the business,” Hoopingarner said. “Kelly had said to me, ‘I’m looking to sell. Are you ready to buy it?’”

A story woven into De Pere’s history

Hoopingarner said purchasing the store placed him at the helm of one of De Pere’s oldest continuously operating businesses. 

He said historical records trace the hardware store’s origins to the 1800s, when it was operated by the Wages family. 

Over the years, Hoopingarner said the business operated under various names. 

“[More recently], it started down the road as Krueger Hardware and moved here in 1980 as Danen Hardware,” he said. “Then, Don Vanevenhoven [bought it], and the neighborhood still calls it Vanevenhovens. When the former owner (Kelly) bought it in 1999, he changed the name to De Pere Hardware, and I bought it from him.”

Hoopingarner said the store has remained affiliated with True Value throughout its modern history. 

Today, he said the approximately 10,000-square-foot store offers hardware, plumbing, electrical supplies, paint, lawn and garden products, grills, rental equipment and repair services. 

Additional services, Hoopingarner said, include mower and snowblower sales, small engine repair, sharpening services, propane exchanges, glass cutting, custom paint matching, key cutting and lock re-keying.

“We are also a significant Weber grill retailer,” he said. “The business has survived by leaning into convenience, expertise and personal relationships, areas where independent hardware stores increasingly distinguish themselves from big-box competitors.” 

Hoopingarner said he describes De Pere True Value as “a hometown hardware store, and one of those places like ‘Cheers.’” 

“People walk in, and they know my name, or I know them,” he said. “I was born [locally], and it’s been my hardware store, too. To then buy it and keep the ‘local boy owns local hardware store’ [aspect] is kind of a cool feeling.”

That hometown atmosphere, Hoopingarner said, remains central to the store’s business model.

“Our niche is that when you come in here, you’ll find someone to help you, or we’ll find you to help you,” he said.

Employing about 20 people, Hoopingarner said many of the employees bring years of trade or repair experience. 

He said that includes several retirees seeking part-time work and others with some knowledge of plumbing and electrical.

Hoopingarner said the core of long-time employees helps to maintain consistency, service and customer trust.

“It helps to perpetuate the culture, keeping people as long as we can and not having too much rotation,” he said. “That’s why the retirees work well – they want a part-time job, we flex them into place and people see the consistency.”

Remodeling for the next generation

That said, Hoopingarner said there are times to shake things up, and the recent store remodel was one of the more significant ones.

“I completely turned [the store] on its head, and it doesn’t look anything like it used to,” he said. “The renovation included new shelving, signage, product layouts and merchandise displays. Much of the original shelving dated back to 1980 and created limitations for stocking newer products.”

About a month after purchasing the hardware store, Hoopingarner said True Value’s bankruptcy created uncertainty. 

After True Value was acquired by Do it Best, he said he explored several possible directions for the business.

“We talked to Do it Best, Ace…, all of them, and the Ace route [initially] looked good, but it’s a lot more franchised than independent,” he said. “We decided to sign with Do it Best Group and keep True Value in our name.”

Hoopingarner said that decision ultimately helped shape the remodel and product expansion strategy.

“After signing a contract, we decided to remodel the store and do new merchandise, layout, signage, shelving and the whole nine yards,” he said. “The project was completed during winter, the store’s slowest season, before the critical spring selling period.”

Though the remodel was a lot of work, Hoopingarner said it was all worth it. 

“When it was done, we knew we would go right into spring, which is hardware season, because it’s our bread and butter,” he said. “Our grand re-opening drew a strong customer response. We had a line all day long and went through hundreds of brats, running out twice.” 

With spring being the store’s busiest time of year, particularly as lawn, garden and landscaping projects ramp up, Hoopingarner said the newly added greenhouse allows customers to purchase plants and flowers earlier in the season. 

“Historically, the plants stayed outside, so the store couldn’t secure them as early in the season,” he said. “Now, a greenhouse allows them to do just that.”

Hoopingarner said the combination of hardware, rental equipment, repair services and seasonal products drives repeat business.

“We may rent something, and [then the customer realizes], ‘You know what, I need dirt and don’t feel like running all the way to [a big box store,]’ and it’s an add-on sale,” he said. 

Hoopingarner said the store’s busiest stretch typically runs from April through July, with another uptick during fall cleanup season.

“The whole business is weather-dependent,” he said. “September and October have been good ones.”

Competing through convenience, connection

Keeping pace with changing customer preferences, Hoopingarner said, also remains important for smaller independent stores like De Pere True Value – which includes incorporating newer products as well as preferred ones. 

“Some people used to use Roundup, but now they don’t want to use that and ask us what we have for a replacement that’s natural,” he said.

Another major addition to the store’s lineup, Hoopingarner said, has been Milwaukee Tools, now available through the Do it Best partnership. 

Though the store always offered tools, he said the Milwaukee Tools brand has been a significant draw. 

“It’s a big deal,” he said. “People flock to that name.”

At the same time, Hoopingarner said Weber grills continue to be one of the store’s strongest categories.

“We do a lot of Weber and that’s our thing,” he said.

Hoopingarner said marketing has become a greater focus under his ownership, with prior advertising efforts relatively minimal.

He said the store is now using Facebook, postcards and other tools to improve visibility. 

“That is something new I’m working through to figure out what brings customers in,” he said. “My larger goal is attracting younger homeowners while retaining longtime customers from the neighborhood and beyond.”

Hoopingarner said changes in local home ownership have corresponded with a decline in customers, as newer, younger residents move into the area.

“My goal is to increase awareness – it’s a big issue,” he said. “When homes turn over to new families my age, we need to reach those families to come here, versus going to a big box store.”

Hoopingarner said the work is beginning to pay off, with more families visiting the store alongside steady support from established customers.

He said most of the store’s customer base comes from De Pere, Allouez and Bellevue, though location still influences shopping patterns.

Engagement with potential customers in West De Pere, Hoopingarner said, remains somewhat uncertain – noting that some residents prefer not to cross the bridge while others have easier access to competing stores in that area.

Still, he said he believes the store has carved out a sustainable niche, pointing to its wide range of offerings and the convenience of its parking and overall accessibility.

“Long-term success is less about aggressive expansion and more about consistency, relevance and preserving the store’s role in the community,” he said. “It’s more about being consistently successful with this store, and maybe, at some point, doing a second store.”

More than anything, Hoopingarner said he hopes the store continues feeling like it belongs to the community itself.

“I just want to remain the local hardware store, as it’s not my store – it’s the town’s store,” he said.