RTC's Business Communicator for Winter 2018

WINTER 2018 9 BRAD’S HARDWARE HANK 24 South Main Street in Parshall • 701-862-3453 RTC Service: Phone Owned by Brad Baker, Brad’s Hardware Hank will celebrate 30 years of business next March. The store carries a wide variety of goods including flame resistant clothing, general hardware and mercantile, paint, appliances, plumbing, electrical, and farm/ ranch supplies. Since Brad was busy helping customers, his daughter Nixie Anderson talked to us for this article. “We’re a lot like an old-fashioned general store. People who visit will say, ‘You don’t see hardware stores like this anymore.’ We sell just about everything,” Anderson says. She adds, “My father is pretty knowledgeable and good at answering questions about plumbing, hardware, painting, and so on. He knows from experience what works and what doesn’t, which can save our customers time and money.” In addition to being a place to get supplies along with advice, Brad’s Hardware Hank is also a social place, with regulars who come in for coffee about every morning. Children are always welcome, and might even get a ride from Brad around the store on a push cart. HANSEN HARDWARE & SPORTING GOODS 1212 North Central Avenue in Kenmare • 701-385-4891 RTC Services: Internet and Phone Hansen Hardware & Sporting Goods isn’t real big, but it sells a big selection of merchandise including hardware, housewares, plumbing, heating, and other supplies. The store has been owned by Darold and Karen Hansen for nearly 31 years. Hansen notes, “I’m a licensed plumber, and I used to also have a plumbing business, but I partially retired from that to focus on the store. I give our customers (many of whom are also friends) a lot of advice when they shop here. They appreciate getting expert help with projects.” Visitors to Hansen Hardware & Sporting Goods can also get a cup of coffee. “We have a coffee pot going with free coffee all day. There’s a group of mostly guys who come in every morning for coffee and conversation, and we have tables for them. I call it the B.S. session.” Holiday shoppers will want to check out the store’s selection of Christmas lights and decorations as well as the featured houseware items that make great gifts. When it comes to community involvement, Hansen Hardware & Sporting Goods has been active in the annual Kenmare GooseFest for 30 years, helping the community celebrate its status as the “Snow Goose Capital of North Dakota.” Brad Baker and Nixie Anderson, Brad’s Hardware Hank Darold and Karen Hansen, Hansen Hardware & Sporting Goods