By Cheri Hoffer

Redstone Review

LYONS – On the morning of January 2, 2000 while the rest of the world was still breathing a collective sigh of relief at the technology bullet which had been dodged as the millennium rolled over, Ted’s Hardware opened its doors with new owners and a new name—Clark’s Hardware. Lonny Clark still remembers selling a lot of candles and survival supplies before Y2K. Clark’s is now celebrating its ten-year anniversary.  Clark had worked for past owners Ted and Dave Gullikson since 1975, but he originally worked at the Diamond Shamrock next door. When the Gulliksons built the hardware store in 1978, Lonny switched jobs.

After 24 years as an employee, Clark was surprised in September of 1999 when Ted

Gullikson approached him about buying the store. “I thought I would work for Ted until I retired since I enjoyed working for him and liked helping customers solve their home repair problems.” Now the Clarks are the employers and Ted, who knows the business intimately, still helps with freight deliveries on Thursdays. Clark now works seven days a week, and provides part-time employment to four others.

2000 was a big year. With Clark’s marriage in July, Trudi Clark came to be a familiar face to customers. While they are both native Coloradans, Trudi grew up in Lyons her whole life, and Lonny moved here in the seventh grade. Trudi’s father was a past fire chief in Lyons. She loves both “the new people who come to the store and being able to help the same people my mom and dad knew.” Both Clarks graduated from Lyons High School, but knew little of one another, being seven years apart in age.

Holding together a mom-and-pop hardware business these days is an ongoing challenge. Helping customers is their biggest satisfaction. Lonny works seven days a week and Trudi is the daycare provider for her one-year-old grandchild, newest of five. “I have to get up at 4:30 a.m. every day but I absolutely love it,” she adds, on top of still being in the store to care for finances six days a week. The business and their family fill their lives, “with no time for hobbies.” Three family dogs hold down the home front while they work. Both Clarks’ mothers are still alive and living independently in Longmont.

Lonny recalls, “Shortly after we purchased the store, Home Depot in Longmont popped up.”  Asked how they dealt with that blow, he simply adds, “I try to do my best to know most of our customers by name. I don’t think you can get that with a big-box store.” Local business bounced back after the initial fuss about the giant store. Then Lowe’s opened in Longmont, “and the same result; they took away some business at first, but once the newness wore off we got our customers back. The same thing happened when the Super Wal-Mart opened.”

Retirement for them someday will mean lots of time spent camping by a river in the forest and traveling around the U.S. Right now the focus is on getting through the recession. “With the tough economy it has been a real challenge to keep things going I would like to thank our customers that support us,” said Lonny. “It is tough on everyone right now.” Stop in to see Lonny and Trudi Clark as you drive through the east end of town. Like any proud business owners after ten years of ups and downs, warm congratulations are in order.

Cheri Hoffer lives and works at home in the mountains north of Lyons with her Great Northern Puglet named Pugsley. She runs Canine Campovers, LLC, a network of state-licensed professional caregivers boarding dogs as family members across the Front Range. For more information about Canine Campovers, visit her web site at www.CanineCampovers.com or call 303-998-1111.

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