Tim Post
Owner and President, T & M Hardware & Rental
#161 | Member since 2001
Ohio and Pennsylvania | 6 locations
Tim is the co-owner and president of T & M Hardware & Rental, a company he and his wife Mary started more than 30 years ago. His family’s passion for helping others empowers the team to problem-solve and assist customers to get their DIY projects done right. T & M’s six stores dominate in plumbing, lawn & garden, and rental, and have a substantial INCOM customer base. Tim relies on a three-pillar foundation—industrial supply, retail, and rental—to set his business apart and build it even stronger. He’s been helping people solve problems long before he was in the independent hardware business. He previously worked for an industrial supply company where he worked to turn around underperforming branches. When many industrial businesses left the US in the 1980s, Tim saw an opportunity to put his skills to the test and run his own business. “Buying a struggling hardware store was a good fit for me, plus it allowed us to stay put and raise our family.”
Today, T & M serves rural, suburban, and urban markets, and their biggest categories are plumbing, lawn & garden, and rental. “With stores in areas with older homes, plumbing is huge for us. DIYers and contractors keep our rental departments very busy,” Tim says. He adds, “The stability of our business is achieved by relying on a three-pillar foundation. Each segment—industrial supply, retail, and rental—makes our business stronger and unique.” Tim encourages his associates to provide solutions and find usable information customers can’t get elsewhere. “They can use their phones on the sales floor—that’s what the internet is for—and if a customer has a question we can’t answer, we can often find them a solution online.”
Tim’s inquisitive nature led him to learn more about his co-op, and it’s just one reason he’s enjoyed serving on the board. “I wanted to give back to my fellow owners, but I also wanted to learn from them and see how they incorporate initiatives into their stores,” he says. He emphasizes that the board invests their time and experiences to position the co-op to remain relevant in the future. “We all run businesses and have had similar experiences as other Do it Best members. The only difference is that we have the responsibility to take off our hat as business owners and think about the success of the entire membership.”
At a glance
Area: Ohio and Pennsylvania
Store type: Hardware
Market: Rural, urban, and suburban
Core categories: Plumbing, lawn & garden, industrial/commercial, rental
Best advice: Always provide usable information
Favorite activity outside of work: Spending time on the lake
The Hardware Connection Retail Beacon Award (2020)