GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Modern Hardware in the Boston Square neighborhood of Grand Rapids is celebrating 100 years in business.
When you first walk into the store on Kalamazoo Avenue, you're immediately greeted by an employee.
Delois Mullins started working at the store 20 years ago.
"They're good people to work for, very nice, I grew up in the neighborhood, and it's good people. I like it here," she said.
One of the owners, Bob Vanderlugt, has worked at the store since he was a teenager.
Despite getting bigger, going through the Great Recession, the pandemic and all sorts of change, the store has never moved.
"We've had a very supportive neighborhood, a lot of loyal customers over the years, and that's got us through," Vanderlugt said.
That relationship with the area, he said, goes both ways.
"Sometimes there's outlying areas have a less than favorable impression of certain neighborhoods, so we've had to deal with that, we've always talked about what a great neighborhood it is," he said.
Customer Sherry Reed used to live nearby but has since moved to Caledonia. Now remodeling her kitchen, she still comes back to the store for the products and the helpful people.
"I can't ever find someone to help in the bigger stores," Reed said.
She said the dedication of the store to the community is obvious.
"They easily could have moved to a bigger store, to a better store, to a more modern store, in a better area where the traffic flows a little easier, but they decided to stay, to support the community, and I think that's great. that's worth it," Reed said.
Although Vanderlugt said change is inevitable, he plans for the business to stay put.
"We are committed to staying here," he said.