Scott Pesavento

#4985 | Member since 2012
Fairfield, Connecticut | 1 location

Hemlock Hardware Owner Scott Pesavento began working in the store as a teen with his father and grandfather. After college, he returned there to work full-time, before eventually buying his family’s business. He quickly established a niche in his market—convenience—key for the commuter town less than an hour from Manhattan. Spending much of their week commuting, folks have little time to browse for home improvement products. So Scott strategically placed the most popular categories at the front of the store to accommodate time-starved shoppers. Scott enhances the convenience factor with same-day delivery for everything, including large top-brand grills that are assembled and delivered the same day they’re purchased. Scott believes if he can get customers the products they want faster and easier than anyone else, he can set Hemlock apart from the competition. 

Hemlock Hardware is built on the pillars of highly recognizable brands and is identified as the area’s largest dealer of items by Big Green Egg, Meile, Solo, STIHL, Weber, and YETI. “We’re focused on selling premium products,” says Scott. “We’ve built Hemlock around brands and convenience. The tagline ‘Convenience Redefined’ is on our logo and store signage—convenience in our market as a great place setter for margin and margin expansion.”

“My grandfather always said success isn’t guaranteed in life and there’s always going to be someone out there who does it better. But you control your effort,” Scott says. “With that, the only thing you can do is put yourself in a position to succeed and leave the rest in God’s hands. So I’ve always tried to make decisions that help others succeed. A lot of that comes down to the effort that you put into it.” Scott’s business is built on three important principles: respect, effort, and kindness. That mindset gives him an edge in a very crowded marketplace—it’s carried through the entire staff and that positively impacts every customer experience, too. 

For Scott, Do it Best has always meant more to him than just business. “It’s about supporting people,” he says. From his very first market, he’s always valued the opportunity to make connections with other members. His passion for building long-lasting relationships with friends, colleagues, and customers sparked his interest in serving his fellow member-owners on the board.

At a glance

Area: Fairfield, Connecticut
Store type: Hardware
Market: Suburban
Core categories: Lawn & garden, outdoor living
Best advice: You control your effort.
Favorite activity outside of work: Going on family walks and playing video games with my son

HBSDealer Hardware All Star (2013)