Walter Hachborn, (July 24, 1921 – December 16, 2016) was a

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

businessman and co-founder, with two others, of

Home Hardware Home Hardware Stores Ltd. is a privately held Canadian home improvement, construction materials, and furniture retailer. Co-founded in 1964 by Walter Hachborn and headquartered in St. Jacobs, Ontario, the chain is co-operatively owned by over ...

, a Canadian

home improvement The concept of home improvement, home renovation, or remodeling is the process of renovating or making additions to one's home. Home improvement can consist of projects that upgrade an existing home interior (such as electrical and plumbing), ...

and construction

retailer Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, which is sale to business or institutional customers. A retailer purchases goods in large quantities from manufacturers, directly or through a wholesaler, and t ...

which supplies contractors and individual retail consumers.

Early life

Born in

Conestogo, Ontario Conestogo is a community in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the township of Woolwich in Waterloo Region. The population in 2016 was 1,270. The community is located at the junction of the Grand and Conestogo Rivers. Conestogo is a te ...

, he lived in St. Jacobs, Ontario, most of his life.

Career

He started working in the hardware industry in 1938 and created Home Hardware in 1964 with two partners, Henry Sittler and Arthur Zilliax. He had been its president since the beginning seeing the company grow from 122 dealers to over 1100 stores and annual sales of over $6 billion. He retired from day-to-day operations in 1988 and retained the title of President Emeritus until 2010 with more than 75 years in the hardware industry.

Recognition

In 1985, he was awarded an honorary doctor of laws degree from

Wilfrid Laurier University Wilfrid Laurier University (commonly referred to as WLU or simply Laurier) is a public university in Ontario, Canada, with campuses in Waterloo, Brantford and Milton. The newer Brantford and Milton campuses are not considered satellite campuses ...

, where he served as a member of WLU's board of governors for 10 years. In 1988, the

Retail Council of Canada The Retail Council of Canada (french: Conseil canadien du commerce de détail), founded in 1963, is a not-for-profit trade association representing retail Retail is the sale of goods and services to consumers, in contrast to wholesaling, ...

recognized Hachborn's success at Home Hardware. In recognition of this accomplishment he was presented with the

Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year The Retail Council of Canada (french: Conseil canadien du commerce de détail), founded in 1963, is a not-for-profit trade association representing retail companies in Canada. RCC coordinates advocacy, communications and education campaigns on b ...

Award. He was also awarded the distinction of Retailer of the Century in 1999. In 1999, he was made a Member of the

Order of Canada The Order of Canada (french: Ordre du Canada; abbreviated as OC) is a Canadian state order and the second-highest honour for merit in the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, after the Order of Merit. To coincide with the ...

. He was named to the Canadian Business Hall of Fame in 2014.

Death

Hachborn died on December 16, 2016, at the age of 95.

References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hachborn, Walter 1921 births 2016 deaths Businesspeople from Ontario Canadian people of German descent Canadian Lutherans Members of the Order of Canada People from Woolwich, Ontario 20th-century Lutherans