Celebrating three decades of exceptional retailers under the age of 35, the North American Hardware and Paint Association’s (NHPA) Young Retailer of the Year Awards program highlights the efforts of young retailers.
NHPA’s Young Retailer of the Year program identifies and promotes the next generation of aspiring independent home improvement, paint and decorating retailers. Honorees are recognized in three categories—multistore, under $3 million in sales and over $3 million in sales—based on a number of criteria, including professional milestones, community engagement, continuing hardware industry education and extracurricular activities. Cody Goeppner, NHPA director of education and training and 2020 Young Retailer of the Year honoree, says the recognition was a turning point for him as it highlighted the hard work he had poured into his career and introduced him to a broader community of forward-thinking and passionate retailers.
“As someone who grew up in my family’s hardware store and spent years as a retailer myself, I know firsthand how much heart, grit and innovation it takes to succeed in this industry,” Goeppner says. “It truly is full circle and an incredible honor for me to support and celebrate the next generation of leaders. This program shines a spotlight on the people who are shaping the future of independent retail, and based on this year’s class, the future is bright.”
Meet this year’s honorees and discover the positive impacts each is making in their operations, communities and the channel.
Haley Chapel
Chief Operating Officer, Timberland Ace Hardware
What does it mean to you to be named a Young Retailer of the Year honoree?
Being named a Young Retailer of the Year honoree is humbling, especially because this industry is full of people who are just as deserving of recognition. What has meant the most to me is the number of people who took the time to support my nomination and write letters on my behalf. Having leaders and peers I respect speak highly of the way I show up and lead was incredibly meaningful. Retail is ultimately a people business and more than anything, this recognition feels like a reflection of the people I’ve been lucky enough to learn from, work alongside and grow with over the years.
Who has been a key mentor or influence in your journey?
My dad (who is also the owner of our company) has been one of the biggest influences in my journey. I’ve always been strong-minded and ready to step into responsibility, but he created an environment where I was able to grow through real experience. He gave me a long leash to make mistakes, fumble, course correct and ultimately develop my own leadership style. There were also times he recognized my capability and capacity before I fully saw it and pushed me accordingly. He’s naturally gifted with visionary instincts and the ability to see possibilities, but he also models balance, self-awareness and the importance of continuing to understand yourself as both a leader and a person. We share a competitive drive, excitement for growth and a strong desire to pursue excellence in our company. There’s always been a loving push between us that has shaped how I approach growth, leadership and accountability.
What challenges did you face early on, and how did you overcome them?
Early on, one of my biggest challenges was simply learning the business with very little firsthand experience. Honestly, I still feel like I’m learning every day, and I imagine that’ll never stop. I was fortunate to grow up in a family business and be offered opportunities early, but with that also came the responsibility of demonstrating I could create real impact and earn credibility through action. What helped most was being in an environment where mistakes weren’t treated as failures, but as part of the process. I was given room to figure things out, be challenged and move on without being defined by those moments. That shaped my confidence as a leader and more importantly, the way I try to develop other people.
How are you adapting to changes in consumer behavior, especially in today’s retail landscape?
Retail is still, and always will be, a people business. Consumer behavior changes constantly, and we recognize that we don’t hold all the answers or need to reinvent the wheel. We pick up the phone, ask questions, surround ourselves with other successful retailers and listen. Some of the best ideas, strategies and adaptations come from our network, and I count myself fortunate to be in circles that care about collective success and genuinely want to share and collaborate. That’s a big reason why I’ve invested time in groups like Progressive Ace Leaders and serving as the Montana Dealer Group leader. Those relationships keep me curious, and I get to hear what’s working in other markets, adapt ideas to fit our business and communities and sometimes share what’s working for us as well.
At the same time, we’ve worked hard to remain a modern hardware company, whether that’s improving our technology and internal processes, strengthening our online presence, maintaining strong inventory depth and breadth, embracing services like DoorDash or continually refreshing and reinvesting in our stores. I think the retailers who continue to thrive through evolving consumer behavior are the ones willing to advance their businesses with an open mind while staying deeply connected to their values.
What keeps you passionate about the independent channel?
What keeps me passionate about the independent channel is the balance of independence and collaboration. Through the Ace cooperative model, we have full rein to run our business in a way that reflects our people, our communities and our values, and that’s very important to me. At the end of the day, most of us didn’t get into hardware retail because we have a deep passion for snow shovels or Scotch tape. There are far easier ways to earn a living, but we stay committed to the industry because we have servant hearts, love building teams, solving problems and being a positive part of someone’s day. I also think the co-op model uniquely positions us to thrive. We maintain local ownership and autonomy while benefiting from the scale, data, vendor relationships, innovation and support of a much larger organization. We get the best of both worlds.
Taylor Cole
Retail Development and Marketing Support, Cole’s Hardware
What does it mean to you to be named a Young Retailer of the Year honoree?
I am honored to be named a Young Retailer of the Year honoree. This recognition shows the strength and dedication of our entire team. I would not be where I am today without the group of people who show up every day committed to serving our customers, communities and each other. This is a recognition of the culture we have built together, and it motivates us to continue to elevate our standards.
Who has been a key mentor or influence in your journey?
Growing up in a family business, I’ve had the opportunity to build strong relationships with family members both inside and outside of work. Through my journey, my dad has been a key role model and mentor. He’s taught me the importance of hard work, having a great moral compass and taking care of people, whether they’re employees, customers or family. I’m thankful for his 40-plus years of business knowledge and experience, along with his dedication to teaching and carrying on the legacy.
What challenges did you face early on, and how did you overcome them?
Early on, one of my toughest challenges was stepping into a business with a strong legacy, which my dad and uncle are a significant part of. I quickly realized that I had some big shoes to fill. I learned early on, it wasn’t about trying to be someone else, it was about leading in my own way. I overcame this challenge with the realization that I’m not alone. I find confidence and trust in our team’s knowledge, experience and willingness to help.
How are you adapting to changes in consumer behavior, especially in today’s retail landscape?
The retail landscape and consumer expectations are changing rapidly. We have a well-rounded team that brings many different perspectives to the table. We all have different areas of expertise and expectations, as both customers and retailers. Our business relies on input from every level in the organization. We continue to focus on our customers’ experience to ensure a seamless interaction, both in-store and online, embracing new technology and tools to elevate our standards, while continuing to be flexible and reliable.
What keeps you passionate about the independent channel?
The people are what keep me passionate about the independent channel, whether that’s our team, other retailers or the communities we serve. This industry provides the opportunity to connect and build long-lasting relationships. Supporting our team members in their growth and experiencing the positive impact in our communities encourages me to carry on our family legacy.
Jeff Kuenning
Co-Owner, Western Ohio True Value
What does it mean to you to be named a Young Retailer of the Year honoree?
It is an absolute honor to be named Young Retailer of the Year. It makes all of the crazy hours and late nights worth it. However, I view this more as a family award than I do a personal award. None of it would be possible without the groundwork and footsteps that my parents and older brothers laid for me. For me, it’s not about personal achievement; it’s about the 73 years of grinding my family has done. It is also about the 120 people in Midwest Ohio who assist us as a family and are out there working every day to better the business.
Who has been a key mentor or influence in your journey?
I would say my father was my biggest mentor. He was so good at letting us boys grow and shine in our own ways. He knew when to let us fail and when to stop us before we got there because he knew we would learn the best from our failures, just as he did when growing the business. After dad passed away, all three of my brothers in the business have continued to help me in countless ways in my growth.
What challenges did you face early on, and how did you overcome them?
One of my hardest challenges that I faced was having to navigate employees who have seen me grow up from a toddler or an immature high school kid and the bridges that I burned along the way. For some of those people, I was able to earn their trust back, but for some, it took me leaving the company and working somewhere else and getting outside experience to earn that trust back. It was a difficult obstacle to navigate, and I am still fighting some of it.
How are you adapting to changes in consumer behavior, especially in today’s retail landscape?
We are adapting every day to current trends and current marketing strategies. The policies and strategic plans that we used 20 years ago no longer work in this landscape. We are trying to continue to grow and expand our e-commerce platform to reach the younger generation, but that is by far our biggest challenge right now.
What keeps you passionate about the independent channel?
Two things keep me going in the independent channel. The first is the customers who continue to come in asking for help and want to use the independents. They don’t want to go to the big box where they can’t get help. They trust us and trust that they will get the correct information from us. My passion comes from helping a customer all the way through their project and seeing the end result of their project. The other thing that keeps me passionate is the other independent store owners and the relationships we have built with them over the years. Seeing them be successful and swapping ideas with each other is a lot of fun.
Summer Vasquez
Store Manager & Project Manager, Matt’s Building Materials
What does it mean to you to be named a Young Retailer of the Year honoree?
It is such an incredible honor to even be considered for this award. When I received the call informing me of the nomination, I was sitting with my daughter. The moment I shared the news with her, I saw a look on her face that I will never forget—a look of pure pride. In that instant, this recognition became so much more than an award.
Seeing her eyes light up and knowing she was proud of me was one of the most rewarding feelings I have ever experienced. It reminded me that our children are always watching, learning and growing from the examples we set and I love being able to show her that hard work, dedication and perseverance truly matter.
Life may not always reward us immediately. There will be long days, challenges and moments when the effort feels unseen. But if you continue to work hard, stay committed and believe in yourself, your efforts will eventually shine through.
Who has been a key mentor or influence in your journey?
Working in a family business, I have been fortunate to have many mentors throughout the years who have played a vital role in my development. However, the one person who stands out because he had no obligation to invest in me, yet chose to do so anyway, is David Castillo. As my manager when I first started, he became much more than a supervisor—he became a mentor, a teacher and someone whose guidance helped shape the person I am today.
His leadership never focused solely on the job itself; he took the time to teach me lessons that would help me succeed long after the workday ended. When I reflect on my accomplishments, I know they are not mine alone, but were built by the encouragement, wisdom and experience that people like David passed down to me over the years.
What challenges did you face early on, and how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges I faced early in my career was being a young woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry. I started working at 16 years old and, through hard work and determination, quickly advanced into an assistant manager role. While I was proud of that accomplishment, it also came with challenges.
There were times when customers, and even fellow employees, underestimated me because of my age, my gender or both. I often felt that sometimes I had to work twice as hard to prove that I belonged and that I was capable of leading, making decisions and contributing meaningful knowledge and experience. Those moments were not always easy, but they taught me resilience, confidence and the importance of believing in myself even when others doubted me.
Rather than allowing those experiences to discourage me, I used them as motivation. Every challenge became an opportunity to learn, grow and demonstrate what I was capable of accomplishing. I remained committed to improving myself, expanding my knowledge and giving my very best every single day. Over time, I learned that respect is not always given immediately—it is earned through consistency, dedication and the willingness to persevere.
How are you adapting to changes in consumer behavior, especially in today’s retail landscape?
We have relied on a great deal of trial and error over the years to be able to serve our customers to the best of our abilities. We must remain competitive not only with other brick-and-mortar businesses but also with online retailers. One thing that consistently stands out, especially in our community, is customers’ desire for personal interaction and genuine conversation. We strive to maintain open lines of communication so customers feel comfortable sharing concerns, asking questions or suggesting products they would like us to carry. By listening to their feedback and building strong relationships, we are able to better meet their needs while creating a positive and welcoming experience that keeps them coming back.
What keeps you passionate about the independent channel?
One of the reasons I am passionate about the independent channel is we have the ability to pivot and adapt quickly to meet the changing needs of our customers. We are not bound by the rigid structure often found in large corporations, and we have the flexibility to make decisions that directly benefit the customer experience. This freedom allows us to respond more efficiently, provide personalized solutions and address customer concerns in a timely manner.
Grant Raynor
Store Manager, Town and Country
What does it mean to you to be named a Young Retailer of the Year honoree?
I want to thank my team; it’s because of them I can do what I do. I can trust them to keep things running when I’m not there and make the right decisions.
What challenges did you face early on, and how did you overcome them?
I started my career with Town and Country in 2015 as a floor sales associate and was promoted to a store manager in less than two years because of my focus on customer service. After learning the business quickly, I took over the McGee Crossing store for Town & Country when I was just 21 years old, and at that time, the store was viewed as something of a leap of faith as it wasn’t performing well.
It was a new location, and while there was optimism, there were also uncertainties.
Fast-forward nearly a decade, and that same store is now one of Town & Country and CNRG’s top-performing locations in return on sales.
How are you adapting to changes in consumer behavior, especially in today’s retail landscape?
We focus on what really matters: the people who walk through the door. Every customer is greeted, listened to and treated with respect—whether they’re spending $5 or $500. If a customer needs something the store doesn’t have, my team will find a way to get it. If they aren’t sure what they need, we will walk them through it until they do. That culture of service has created a loyal following, and many of our customers are greeted by name when they come in. I try to be thoughtful about what goes on the shelves. In a smaller footprint store, space is everything, so I try to read sales trends and rotate out slower movers to make room for better-performing
items. I’m not afraid to make tough calls if it means serving customers more effectively and driving results. My store is developing into more of an urban area, so I am monitoring the trends and adjusting my offerings to align with new business.
What keeps you passionate about the independent channel?
My deep belief that customer service should always come first keeps me passionate. That sounds simple, but in today’s world of self-checkouts and automated help desks, it’s actually pretty rare. I train my team to go the extra mile, even when they don’t make a sale.
I have even talked a customer into buying a less expensive item than they came in for, not because it makes the register ring louder with more sales, but because I want them to be happy with their purchase and come back next time. After Hurricane Florence hit western North Carolina, I didn’t want to wait for someone else to step in, so I went straight to my district manager and asked if we could donate supplies for the cleanup effort. For the days leading up to the storm, we ignored the closing hours of the store and stayed open until the last customers were served. Many customers who did not get off work until later in the evening were fortunate and grateful for the service we provided then.
Shannon Davis Morrow
Business Manager, Tweedy Lumber and Hardware
What does it mean to you to be named a Young Retailer of the Year honoree?
Being named a Young Retailer of the Year honoree is truly one of the greatest honors of my life. I pour my heart into this business every single day, and there are times when you wonder if the hard work is making a difference. This recognition is incredibly meaningful because it validates the effort, dedication and passion I’ve invested over the years.
Who has been a key mentor or influence in your journey?
Without a doubt, my parents have been the biggest influences in my life. They have faced challenges, overcome obstacles and built many successful businesses through hard work, perseverance and determination. They taught me what it means to work hard, treat people well and always put family first. The values they instilled in me will forever guide both my personal life and my career.
What challenges did you face early on, and how did you overcome them?
One of the biggest challenges I faced was being a young woman in a traditionally male-dominated industry. Because I didn’t grow up in the hardware and lumber business, I had a steep learning curve and knew I needed to gain knowledge quickly if I wanted to succeed. I made it my mission to learn every aspect of the business, from operations to customer service and everything in between. That commitment to learning has helped me grow, and every day I continue to learn something new.
How are you adapting to changes in consumer behavior, especially in today’s retail landscape?
I believe the best thing a retailer can do is listen. Our customers tell us every day what they need, what they value and how their expectations are changing. By staying connected to those conversations and being willing to adapt, we can continue providing the products, services and shopping experience they’re looking for. While retail is constantly evolving, personal relationships and customer service will always be at the center of what we do.
What keeps you passionate about the independent channel?
The sense of community is what keeps me passionate about independent retail. Over the years, I’ve built meaningful relationships with customers, employees and fellow retailers, and those connections make this work incredibly rewarding. I love helping customers bring their projects to life and seeing those projects through from start to finish. Independent retailers offer a level of personal service, trust and community connection that simply can’t be replicated, and that’s what makes this industry so special.
Sean Downey
General Manager, West Whittier Paint Co.
What does it mean to you to be named a Young Retailer of the Year honoree?
I had told myself all year that I just had to apply before I turned 30. I kept telling myself, “It’ll be the 30th anniversary, I’ll have just turned 30 at the conference—they have to let me in.” When I found out I actually made it, I was pleasantly surprised, but I didn’t really tell anyone. I told my girlfriend and my office manager, but that’s about it. I didn’t even tell my family right away. It was just this thing that felt peaceful and happy, and I wanted to hold onto those feelings for myself for a bit.
When the award was announced publicly, I was actually most happy and surprised to hear the congratulations from my friends and connections in ALLPRO. They knew what it was, so it felt the most genuine. I’ve seen my peers win this award year after year and was always so impressed by them, so it kind of feels like I made it, too.
Who has been a key mentor or influence in your journey?
I grew up in the store, like most of us, but I didn’t have it set out in front of me. In fact, my parents encouraged me to do literally anything else, but here I am, sucked back into the void of the family business. I come from a long lineage of stubborn independent operators. Some might say that I fit that mold, but I don’t see the resemblance.
Regardless, it put the store in a unique position of life passing it by. After decades of very little change or updates, the store was primed for some stubborn person to come along and shake things up. When I became general manager, I essentially had to go it on my own and trust my gut.
What challenges did you face early on, and how did you overcome them?
It’s Fall 2019, I’m 23, feeling 30 and back at the paint store. Am I doing sales? Am I updating systems? Am I out of my mind? Yes. We were still using dot-matrix printers, faxing more than emailing and working off a POS system that predated Windows.
After some early uphill battles, I got us on VoIP phones, got everyone into the MS Office environment, and we now have—gasp—Wi-Fi! That was just the beginning. I learned WordPress and built a website that met our needs, redesigned aisles and added pallet shelving. I implemented a new POS system from pretty much nothing, since nearly all of the data from the old one was non-transferable. And something I’m probably most proud of: I’ve given our employees raises that are definitely more competitive and much closer to what they’re actually worth.
I did pretty much all of this guerrilla style. I was dropped in here with no plan and no guidance other than “work on bettering things we don’t have the time for.” But every time I had an idea or wanted to change something, it was met with a lot of resistance and pretty much denied. So, I got creative. I realized if I wanted to bring us into the 21st century, I had to stop waiting for permission. I started executing these changes on my own dollar and my own time, pushing updates through independently and putting my own neck on the line. I decided I was either going to fix the store or get fired trying, and it worked. There was a lot of training, a need for reassurance and skepticism from the team. But we’re still here, and over time, I’ve earned the trust of everyone.
Now that we have our systems in place and the wind in our sails, my next steps are to jump the shark. I’m trying to update the store experience, something that hasn’t been done here since the 80s. We are doing a facelift of the outside because a paint store should look freshly painted and not like you’re walking into an abandoned warehouse. We are also going to attempt to reset the inside—just don’t tell my employees that yet. Along with this, we’re actively working on an e-commerce site so that, at the very least, people can price shop us and know that we exist.
To add to the early chaos, I butted heads with our office manager early on. At the time, she had been with us for over 55 years, and I think she saw me as a naive, overzealous kid trying to change everything she worked so hard for. She actually more or less retired because of the friction, but this year, she celebrated her 90th birthday at the store with her friends, family and longtime coworkers. She and I have made genuine amends, and she more than approves of everything I’ve been doing now that she has seen I haven’t destroyed the business—so far.
How are you adapting to changes in consumer behavior, especially in today’s retail landscape?
First and foremost, it’s about staying as price-competitive as possible, and then ensuring today’s chronically online consumer actually knows we exist. I actually haven’t started paid advertising online, but the website is live and it’s at least driving some traffic to the store. At the very least, it shows we’re a legitimate business and not just a 2006 HTML page.
What keeps you passionate about the independent channel?
Spite. Those free trips to the AllPro shows. And honestly? A little more spite. The independent channel can be a real disaster sometimes, but every now and then, the stars align and we can all enjoy ourselves.
Félix-Antoine Moisan
Director of Operations, Jean Denis Limitée Home Hardware
What does it mean to you to be named a Young Retailer of the Year honoree?
For me, receiving this award represents a high level of recognition of the retail industry by my peers. At 28 years old, this is an unexpected event in my young career as a businessman. Winning an award of this magnitude becomes a motivation to propel myself towards a better and more prosperous future. The visibility achieved by this honor gives me confidence in myself, our team and our entire family business. To have been chosen to win this award makes me very proud.
Who has been a key mentor or influence in your journey?
My grandfather, Jean-Guy, for his entrepreneurial journey for over 53 years and managing the family business as a third-generation owner.
My grandmother, Louise, showed me her way of working and her dedication to customer service as well as her vision of the job: “work is not fatal,” said my grandmother. She worked at the family business until she was 80 years old.
I work with my mother, Sophie, every day; she teaches me to be rigorous in the execution of my work, be proud of the work we do and know how to maintain a high standard of quality in customer service. My mother often says: “take nothing for granted, every day it is to start over.”
My father, Philippe: his joviality, good humor, patience and daily discipline inspire me to become a better manager.
What challenges did you face early on, and how did you overcome them?
I’ve been working at the hardware store since I was 12. In the summer, as a student, I loaded bags of earth into clients’ cars. From these first work experiences, I learned the basics of customer service. Over time, I gained experience and knowledge in all departments—cashier, paint clerk, merchandising, delivery person and product assembly. During my college studies in sales management, I was able to put my knowledge of merchandising to good use by optimizing space, visual presentation and department redevelopment. Another challenge was the complete redevelopment of the cash desks to create a queue and improve traffic in the hardware store. With the realization of this project, I proved to my parents and the whole team that my ideas and future merchandising projects could bring more sales. In any change, the biggest challenge is to ask humans to adapt to change. I learned that you must not only sell your idea, but prove in the realization of the idea the added value of the project.
For the past three years, I have held the position of director of operations. My biggest challenge was to present myself to the existing team as an entire manager who could give instructions and promote my ideas, while knowing very well that these same employees saw me grow up in the company. Making my place represents a major challenge. My approach with the team is to treat them with respect and consider their work experience.
How are you adapting to changes in consumer behavior, especially in today’s retail landscape?
The digital age in which we live is accelerating consumer trends at a faster rate than ever before. We must constantly listen and be attentive to the consumer’s needs. I often say that you can’t blame the consumer if they’re not there. As an entrepreneur, it’s our job to be there to meet consumer needs. We must be constantly evolving because it is our duty to offer an attractive, up-to-date and effective experience. Nowadays, consumers have a lot more choice when it comes to shopping. Whether in-store or online, the offer is large and the competition fierce. For our family business, we need to make improvements that make a difference. For example, displaying our inventory online for the last 18 months has been a great improvement. When customers see that we have it in store on the website, they know that they can have their goods quickly.
In the last decade, there has been a change in how we reach out to our customers with the advent of social media. We created our Facebook page more than 10 years ago and started making content. Customers want to see us and hear from us. They want practical advice, see our new products and trust in our expertise and the products we recommend. We have built a community over time and our social media is our best communication tool to be in contact with our customers at home, day after day.
What keeps you passionate about the independent channel?
Being part of an independent chain is the best option in my opinion, to benefit from several advantages of a banner while having the flexibility to develop our business according to our market and the effort we want to put into it. With Home Hardware, what I find interesting is that there are several options: you can be a hardware store, a home improvement center or both. The options are there, and it’s up to us to choose. Among the advantages of being part of the Home Hardware chain is access to more than 45,000 products, including private brands and exclusive deals in addition to national brands. The assortment of products, the marketing program and the website are all winning elements for the success of our store. Being a Home Hardware dealer, a 100% Canadian banner, meets the expectations of our customers, propels us as a merchant and has brought us success for 26 years.
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