Our own homegrown hardware dude

Nestled among the businesses on Lee Road is a store as unique as the surrounding community-and as the needs of the historical homes that line its streets. It wasn’t long after moving into our more than 90-year-old house that I first met Joel Borwick, owner of Seitz Agin Hardware.  “I have to replace the grate thingy on one of my radiator covers,” I told him, bracing myself for the same “don’t carry that” I had heard at the bigger stores I visited. “They’re at the end of this aisle,” he responded, smiling at the look of relief on my face. Over the years, my encounters with Borwick and his staff would be many.

There were visits based on necessity. “I need three screws just like this one,” I would say, holding up the sample I had brought. Digging into a series of drawers one of the staff would produce three exact screws-not a prepackaged bag of 10 or 20, but the three single screws I needed to complete a stalled project.

There were the visits based on desperation. “My daughter has a project on electricity due tomorrow for school, and I have no idea if this is wired right. Can you help?” I pleaded one day as my daughter proudly held up a board with wires and a battery. Patiently Joel examined the project and declared it to be one hundred percent correct.

It is those special touches that make Seitz Agin rise above its competitors. Borwick points out that the personal approach and learning how to listen and talk to his customers has helped Seitz Agin make it through the big box invasion.

 “So, how did you get into the hardware business,” I asked him on one of my visits. He explained that he had worked at his father’s business since he was 13. In his 20s he started looking for a retail business or store to invest in. The owners of Seitz Agin were looking for a buyer. Fate intervened and Borwick became the owner of Seitz Agin Hardware. That was 37 years ago.

Borwick's success is based on more than just service with a smile. “You make it work because it is an investment,” he states, quickly adding that the five people who work for him - Bill Sheck, Gary Chambers, Norm Lippe and Ramone Smith - collectively bring 160 years of experience to the store. “We understand and carry what many of the older homes need.”

“I would not be here, though, if it wasn’t for the people in this community,” Borwick is quick to point out. “It is important for businesses to give back to the community as a way of saying 'thank you' to the customers who support us.”  The walls of his crowded office show that over the years he has put those words into action. There are pictures of him as the coach of a baseball team and colorful “thank you” letters from grade school children. He was president of the Cedar-Lee Business Association and presently sits on the board of the Boys and Girls Club.

Borwick calls himself a “homegrown hardware dude.” He grew up on Edgerton Road in University Heights, and attended Wiley Middle School and Heights High School. He admits that he still has fun coming to work, which, he says, is the way it should be. “Knowing so many people makes owning the store more interesting."

Lita Gonzalez is a community volunteer.