A steady stream of customers and visitors came through the doors of Hinkle’s Marengo Hardware for their grand opening event.
Owner, Wayne Hinkle cut several keys for customers and guided them to the tools they needed while hosting an open house and ribbon cutting with the Morrow County Chamber of Commerce.
Hinkle said he would be rich if he had a quarter for all the times in the past week that people said, “We’re really glad to have the hardware back.”
The Hinkles are “working towards being a full service hardware store within a small space.” If they don’t have something in stock, they can order it and receive it in three to five days. There is a full selection of tools, nuts and bolts, locks and keys, light bulbs, electrical cords, paints, garden tools and much more. They use the independent hardware supplier, Orgill.
Wayne’s father, Paul Hinkle told a little of the history of the store. Marengo Hardware was owned by the Gale family from 1972 until about one and a half years ago. Before that it was owned by Clyde Rogers and Pete Beaver back into the 1950’s when Paul came to town.
Marengo is “hometown” for Wayne Hinkle. After college he taught, coached and was High School Principal in the Northmor and Cardington School Districts. He retired from the South Central School District after a career spanning 30 years as a teacher, coach and principal. He looks forward to this new business venture and serving the community in a new capacity.
Highland School employee, Craig Alexander came in Friday to get a couple keys made for a school office. He was glad to get into Marengo and have a local store instead of driving 12 miles to Mount Gilead or Mount Vernon.
Chamber members from Marengo, Larry Hildebrand of Home and Field Store and Cynthia Rowland, Manager of U.S. Bank of Marengo, agreed that the reopening of the Hardware Store is “really big for Marengo.”
