Ellis Home Hardware celebrates 10 years in Milverton

The Ellis Home Hardware Building Centre team, along with the team from Smith Creek Furniture, recently celebrated the Milverton store’s 10th anniversary. From left are Wayne Kipfer, Katherine Luckhardt, Esther Streicher, Irene Ellis, Becky Hastings, Tim Ellis, Karen Lewis, Kelly Kipfer and Rob Brett. Missing are Elroy Horst, Kevin Gascho, Kai Dias and Rory Snyder. Contributed photo

By Gary West

Anniversaries are special for local businesses that provide products, materials and employment while becoming part of the communities they serve.

Ellis Home Hardware Building Centre, along with Smith Creek Furniture in Milverton, recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a hometown event that brought longtime and new customers into the Main Street store.

Irene and Tim Ellis began their hardware journey years ago with Home Hardware Stores Ltd. in St. Jacobs.

Tim Ellis started as a truck driver before moving into distribution, while Irene Ellis began as a university student working summers and later moved into full-time work in visual merchandising and store planning.

At the time, Milverton’s Home Hardware store was owned by Jim and Rita Schneuker. Tim Ellis began working for the couple as a manager in 2012, while Irene Ellis joined the store part-time a few years later.

When the Schneukers approached the couple about buying the store in late 2014, Tim and Irene Ellis believed it was an opportunity to continue a longstanding local hardware tradition.

After plenty of planning and decision-making, the couple took over the business in October 2016 and began making their dream of owning a Home Hardware store a reality.

Starting a business is never easy, but the couple quickly realized how important the support of the Milverton community would be.

They said it was not an easy time to operate a brick-and-mortar store, but residents and area farmers supported them with a level of loyalty and trust they will always appreciate.

The couple knows reaching the 10-year milestone was not something they accomplished alone.

That support, Tim Ellis said, has carried them through challenges, helped celebrate their successes and shaped the business into what it is today.

Their three daughters, Violet, Quinly and Isabella, have all worked in the business while attending school and are now pursuing professional careers of their own.

Tim and Irene Ellis also credit their dedicated staff, whose hard work and commitment have become the backbone of the Home Hardware and furniture business.

The Ellises say they are proud to carry on Jim and Rita Schneukers’ vision of a small-town, family-owned business and believe the store belongs just as much to the community as it does to them.

Their community involvement extends well beyond the store. They are involved with the Milverton Lions Club, Perth East book club, Milverton Curling Club and minor ball, and they sponsor a number of other local events.

They are also involved with the Great Lakes Ride, a weeklong road-cycling fundraiser Tim Ellis started four years ago.

Tim Ellis serves as the main organizer and rider, while Irene Ellis is part of the support team. The ride covers 1,000 kilometres over six days, beginning and ending at Children’s Hospital at London Health Sciences Centre, and raises money for the Children’s Health Foundation.