Do It Best Success Story – Clinton Hardware
Paladin Helps Clinton Hardware Do it Best
Clinton Hardware, in Clinton, Maryland, opened as an independent store just after the end of World War II. David Billman’s family bought the business in 1963 and has operated it ever since. Today, David is the sole proprietor of the store, which draws customers from all over southern Maryland and the greater Washington D.C. area. It has a strong reputation for caring, extremely knowledgeable customer service associates and was recently honored as one of the top 10 hardware stores in the state.
The store does about $1 million in annual sales and holds approximately 19,000 products. In addition to its typical hardware lines, Clinton Hardware is a home chef’s delight with a wide variety of grills, smokers, indoor and outdoor cookware, and a plethora of delicious rubs, sauces and marinades.
Do it Best Corporation was founded in 1945 in Fort Wayne, Indiana as Hardware Wholesalers, Inc. Today, the company is the second largest home improvement co-operative in the industry.
“I have higher customer counts and higher sales. I know its happening because it’s right there [on the dashboard] in front of me every morning.”
Clinton Hardware joined Do it Best in 2000. The business used the co-op’s point of sale system until 2007 and then moved to a third-party system when Do It Best discontinued its point-of-sale offering. David’s store operated on that system for close to 10 years, but he felt it had become too costly and unwieldy, and he wasn’t happy with the support he received.
With increasing competition from big-box stores and a desire to improve his store operations, David began looking for a new digital business platform to help him reduce operating costs and simplify his processes. He felt he was paying too much in monthly fees for a system and support that wasn’t doing the job. A Do it Best Regional Representative recommended he look at Paladin Data Corporation.
Paladin configured the exact software solution David needed to improve his operations and grow his business and deployed two EMV-enabled credit card processing terminals, a pair of receipt printers and a RF gun. Paladin is fully integrated with Do it Best and many other suppliers through EDI, which makes ordering, tracking sales and inventory management a breeze. A little over a year since the change, David loves the direction his business has taken.
“With my old system, you had to be a computer genius to do anything in it. With the system I have now, Paladin, I can do by myself.
I have full confidence in it keeping my store stocked but not over-stocked. I love it.”
David now has location codes for most of his store and they allow him to improve sales by eliminating inventory that doesn’t sell. Mapping the store also allows David to better track his key departments and easily reorganize when he adds new products. Clinton’s plumbing and paint departments are strong, but so too are lawn and garden and his outdoor grilling sections during the summer months.
Paladin’s special orders and account management features have also improved Clinton Hardware’s cash flow by automating the processes. What was once a haphazard system of recording special orders is now simplified, organized and foolproof.
“Our process before was a hand-written note. Maybe it gets ordered, maybe it doesn’t,” David says. “Now, we use the Paladin special order system. I have five special orders coming in this week. They’re paid for up front. The system prints out a receipt. It automatically puts in a (purchase order) where I just go in and hit confirm/buy. I know that special order item is ordered. It’s paid for. It’s clearly printed on the receipt the item has a 20% restocking fee.
“Before, we’d order something for somebody off our note and they would forget about it or say, ‘I just don’t need it anymore.’ With this system, with the order paid for up front, 99.9% of the time if they order it, they’re taking it. Paladin’s special-order system is a wonderful tool. We take extreme advantage of because we’re making people happy.”
Paladin also allows David to better serve his landscaping and building contractor clients. Their invoices and monthly statements are generated automatically. For some customers who allow it, those statements are transmitted digitally, which saves David the time and money it takes to generate a paper bill and mail it out.
Automating business processes eliminates most routine tasks, smooths operations and reduces errors, but ultimately it allows merchants to focus on their business and frees up time to spend with their customers.
“I spend 95% of my day on the sales floor within earshot of the counter and this system allows me to do that. It allows me to learn my customers’ names. Everything with Do it Best is seamless. Everything Paladin does, it does it well. It is an accessible system in which the average Joe can get in there and implement the tools that are in it. It’s easy. It does everything.
We’re putting a conscious effort into this place and Paladin is getting us to where we want to be, and it’s helping us track the changes in our store. I love what this system is doing.”
Tolmie's Ace Hardware: Five Generations of Small-Town Service, Powered by Paladin POS
For more than 55 years, Tolmie's Ace Hardware has been a fixture in Homedale, Idaho, serving homeowners, farmers, contractors, and local businesses with the kind of personal service that only a family-owned store can provide. Behind the scenes, the Tolmie family has relied on Paladin Point of Sale for more than 25 years to help manage inventory, streamline operations, and support the growth of their business.
Dirk Tolmie took over the store from his parents in 1995 after a successful career in retail management. A few years later, as the business expanded and added Ace Hardware to its offerings, he recognized the need for a better way to manage inventory and day-to-day operations. In 1999, Dirk chose Paladin POS to help him move beyond paper-based processes and gain the tools needed to run an increasingly complex retail operation.
Dirk still remembers Paladin founders Dan and Judie Neismith personally traveling to Homedale to install the system.
"They flew in here, ran wire through the ceilings and all of this," Dirk recalls, chuckling about a lesson in computer hardware from Dan, who opened the store’s new Paladin computer’s CD-ROM tray to earnestly explain why, despite appearances, “It’s not a cupholder.”
More than two decades later, that partnership remains an important part of the store's success.
Managing Thousands of Products with a Small Team
Today, Tolmie's Ace spans roughly 5,000 square feet across three buildings and carries everything from paint, tools, and fasteners to agricultural chemicals, grilling supplies, and major appliances. Popular services at the store include electronic key duplication, product assembly and delivery. Despite the breadth of inventory, the business is run by a remarkably small team: Dirk, his wife Robyn, their son Josh, and a handful of part-time employees.
For a store of that size, inventory management is critical.
The Tolmies rely on Paladin's inventory tools to track stock levels, manage pricing, monitor product movement, and identify items that need to be reordered. EDI integration with Ace Hardware helps automate inventory and pricing updates, reducing manual work while helping ensure information stays current and accurate.
Instead of spending hours researching products, checking reports, or manually updating records, the team can quickly access the information they need and focus on serving customers.
"It's so handy and efficient," says Robyn. "It just takes seconds to get on and figure things out."
The store also makes extensive use of Paladin's reporting capabilities, which provide visibility into sales trends, inventory performance, margins, and purchasing decisions.
Supporting Growth in a Changing Market
As Homedale continues to grow, so do the demands on local businesses.
"We have new housing and new businesses going in," says Robyn. "Builders from twenty or thirty miles away come to the store if they forget something or break something."
At the same time, new competitors have entered nearby markets. The Tolmies believe that combining outstanding customer service with efficient business systems has helped them remain competitive while maintaining the hometown atmosphere customers value.
Paladin's tools help support that approach at Tolmie's Ace by simplifying many of the daily operational tasks, including:
- Automated inventory and pricing updates
- Inventory tracking and replenishment management
- Ace Hardware EDI integration
- House account management
- Streamlined point-of-sale workflows
- U.S.-based technical support
House accounts are especially important to the store's commercial customers, many of whom send employees to purchase supplies throughout the day.
"A lot of these businesses and farmers send employees in," Dirk explains. "They can just sign and go."
By making account management simple and efficient, Paladin helps the store provide the convenience local businesses need.
Technology That Lets Staff Focus on Customers
While inventory and reporting tools keep the operation running smoothly, the Tolmies believe the real value of Paladin is the time it gives back to their team.
Rather than being tied up in administrative work, employees can spend more time assisting customers, answering questions, and helping people find solutions.
That customer-first philosophy has helped build the store's reputation throughout the region. Customers frequently praise the store's knowledgeable staff and friendly atmosphere, something Robyn considers the business's greatest strength.
"I personally think our specialty is customer service," she says. "Nobody does it like we do. We know all the customers and greet them when they come in."
When technical issues do arise, quick support helps minimize disruptions.
