An award, a little reminiscing, a little history

CHELAN - Gene Kelly of Kelly’s Ace Hardware in downtown Chelan, was presented the Estwing Gold Hammer Award - for Dedicated Service to the Hardware Industry on Nov. 2 at the store with family, friends and staff looking on. The award was presented to Gene by Vic Weston, District Manager of Retail Operations for Ace Hardware Corporation. After thanking Weston for the award Gene said, “If you enjoy what you do it is not work ... - it’s as simple that. He also thanked those in attendance for coming.
The plaque on the hammer award, reads, ‘Thank You Gene, for 63 years of dedication.’ It also includes a saying by Mark Twain, ‘Find a job you enjoy doing, and you will never have to work a day in your life!’
Vic Weston, from Ace Hardware said they are hoping to award more of these awards to individuals in his district.
Gene said that they have been very, very fortunate to have the quality of help that they have at the store and “Pat and I could not do anything with out having a great crew .. we hire people who like people, you can always tell. A lot of people have been with us 20-25 years.’’
He also said that Ace Hardware has helped them tremendously and that has been very, very good.
When someone at the presentation, thanked him for staying in Chelan that many years and staying  open, Gene replied, ‘‘People have supported us, that’s the thing, local people have supported local business, and if we don’t do that, the town goes down ... a lot of people don’t realize how important it is to support local businesses, all kinds of local businesses. Trade local.’’
Asked about his favorite day when working, Gene said.  
“A lady came in with a nice looking hat on, and I waited on her, and I said to her, you look a lot younger today, because of the beautiful hat you have on. Guess what she said to me? I am leaving your store, because I don’t like the remark you just made. That’s a true story. That stuck with me folks ... I changed my approach.’’
Gene went onto say, ‘‘Sixty three years ago when I first came back here, you could walk up and down main street and find nobody there, even in the summer ... things have approved so much ... I know a lot of people don’t like tourists, but we gotta have tourism in the area ... just have to have it. The same way with different nationalities of people, we’ve got to have that in the community, that is all there is to it ... we have to treat everyone good. I went out of this business, just as easy as you can possibly go out, after 63 years, why, because I had someone that took over and did one helluva better job, ... and that was Pat.’’
When asked what the store was like when he came on board he said.
“Four employees, you wait on the customer, take their money, put in the till, you did everything ... follow them around the store.’’
He said at that time they had several wholesalers, then they joined Ace Hardware. They were one of the first Ace Hardware dealers in the state of Washington. Merchandise was shipped into Portland on the train, put on trucks and delivered out of there. He said they never knew when you were going to get a shipment of merchandise, but that  everything eventually improved.
Gene was living in Moses Lake working as a car salesman and struggling, when his brother Wayne Kelly called him up and asked him if he was interested in going into business or working for him. He told Wayne he knew nothing about hardware and Wayne asked him if he could learn, to which he replied, ‘‘Well I think i can.’’
Gene joined his brother Wayne Kelly in the fall of 1958.
Gene bought into business and became a co-owner with his brother; with Wayne’s son, Pat, joining the company later on. Wayne passed away in 1991.
Gene went onto say, “I am fortunate to be able to live as long as I have, and enjoy the people that we have working here at the store.’’
When asked by his nephew Pat about selling appliances, Gene replied.
‘‘Well I needed a couple, that was the reason.’’
Kelly’s sold GE Appliances for about five years, but stopped selling them because they could not service them.
“If you sell a product you need to stand behind it,’’ Gene said.
When asked what was next for him, Gene replied, ‘‘I am not telling because i don’t know myself. I might go back into the used car business, since I don’t need a income. Thank you for Social Security.
History
The following is reprinted from the June 1, 1977 issue of the Lake Chelan Mirror and was written by Wayne Kelly.
Kelly’s Hardware was originally started in Chelan as Chelan Hardware Company by Merle Higley in the early 1920’s.
Jim Reed and his father John purchased it in 1926 and it was located where the present post office is now. The store was  moved from there to Woodin Avenue right next to the Ruby Theatre. This building is now being occupied by KOZI Radio Station (now Westside  Pizza). In 1935 a new brick building was built next to the Episcopal Log Church and Chelan Hardware Company had a new home, still owned by Jim Reed and his father.
It was at this time, a long time friend of Jim Reed, Barney Slaugenhaupt Sr., moved to Chelan and went to work for Chelan Hardware Company.
In April of 1946, when I was discharged from the Navy, I went to work  for Chelan Hardware Company. The crew then consisted of Jim Reed (owner), Warren (Hardware) Harris, Lil Fisher, Claude Bennett, and Wayne Kelly. About four years later the store was enlarged as we encompassed the space formerly occupied by Richardson’s Barber Shop. Now the store frontage was 40 feet.
In 1958 Jim Reed sold the business to me. Having 12 years previous experience in the store, I knew I liked working in the hardware business and working with people. We had many ideas that we wanted to try and over the years we have tried them very successfully.
Each year we have done some moderizing, some remodeling and added new merchandise.
In 1966 we encompassed another building, which was originally the Chelan State Bank. This now gave us a 66 foot frontage or 6,600 square feet of main floor store.
The Chelan State Bank was closed in 1932 and after that served as home for many businesses. T.J.  East Insurance Company, Dr. Douglas Dewar’s dentist office and last as B.A. Slaugenhaupt’s Realty office.
Hardware business is enjoyable because you have so many things to learn in every department. Because you work with so many different trade’s or skilled workmen, you have to accumulate knowledge in many fields.
This applies even more when you are trying to help a home owner or a do-it-yourselfer on his first job.
There are many questions that you are expected to have the answer for and over the years you acquire this knowledge if you apply yourself.
We have a staff of people that are constantly going to trade-shows and leaving sessions to be able to help our customers.
This has helped our business to grow ever the many years, but you don’t accomplish this without working and learning more each year.