About Us

Your local hardware store since 1935

HESS DO IT BEST® LUMBER & HOME CENTER Do it Best Corp. Member since 1993. Hess Do it Best Lumber & Home Center, established in 1935 by J. W. Hess, is one of the oldest businesses in Malad, Idaho, a small rural community tucked in the southeast corner of the state.

Although improvements had been made over the years, J.W.’s granddaughter Ronda Crowther and her husband Jared recognized that future success would require major expansion of their 1,800 sq. ft. location. “We always liked the look of Do it Best Corp. store designs,” said Jared. “So we were delighted to discover that the Signature™ Store Design Program was a good fit for us.”

While attending CORE® (College of Retail Education) at Do it Best Corp. headquarters, Jared and his son, Doug, met with the Signature Store Design team to begin the process of establishing a new store using the program’s co-branded option. “Do it Best Corp. started by conducting a market analysis that indicated that our area could support our expansion. Together, we determined that the best solution would be to construct a completely new building,” said Jared.

In keeping with the company’s heritage, the new store design featured a western theme and incorporated photographs of the family’s history. The Crowthers worked with the Do it Best Corp. RetailPLUS! team to finalize the store’s layout and determine the best merchandise mix. They added several thousand new products and greatly enlarged the housewares, paint, lawn and garden, plumbing, electrical and tool departments.

The new Hess Lumber held its grand opening in the summer of 2010, coinciding with the company’s 75th anniversary. Customers were welcomed into a bright, well-organized full-service home center with 7,700 sq. ft. of retail space. “It was fun to watch people’s jaws drop when they saw the new store,” said Ronda. “They couldn’t believe the selection of items.” The Crowthers saw an immediate upswing in their business, with substantial increases in transaction counts, margins and overall sales. These results are also reflected in the way customers now interact with the store. “Women, in particular, now frequent the store more regularly,” said Ronda. “In the past, they would come in to pick up an item as if it were a chore. Now, they grab a cart and shop the aisles.” Today, Doug Crowther serves as general manager of Hess Lumber and, along with his brother Eric, represents the fourth generation of the family to be involved in the business.

Thanks to their parents’ investment and the support of Do it Best Corp., they are well-positioned to grow their great-grandfather’s company for generations to come.