Aubuchon Hardware to buy and close Lynde Hardware in Gardner
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William Aubuchon, IV, CEO of Aubuchon Hardware, along with Celeste and Jay Drake of Lynde Hardware & Supply.
One longtime family-owned Gardner hardware store is buying another.
Aubuchon Hardware said Tuesday it is acquiring and closing the only store operated by Lynde Hardware & Supply Inc., a family-owned operation purchased by the Drake family in 1982. Aubuchon has been run by the family of the same name since 1908.
Selling the business after 35 years is bittersweet, said Celeste Drake, Lynde Hardware’s vice president. But she said she and her husband, Jay, the company's president, are happy to join the larger Aubuchon chain, which has grown to include 103 stores.
“We are really marrying together,” Drake said in a statement. “They have been in hardware longer than we have and it’s nice to have someone local taking it over.”
Lynde Hardware and Supply was located for its first six years on West Lynde Street in Gardner before moving to the current location at 483 Main St. in 1988. It will close as part of the acquisition.
Aubuchon's acquisition is planned to be completed on March 25, when the Lynde store will close. Lynde's workers will be offered employment at an Aubuchon store at 34 Pearson Blvd. in Gardner that is being expanded to add a lawn and garden area and a broader inventory.
William Aubuchon IV, the Aubuchon CEO, said his family has always looked up to the Drakes for their customer service and support of the community. Will Aubuchon and Jay Drake have known each other and served together as trustees of the Foundation of North Central Massachusetts.
“Celeste has been very active with the local community in Gardner and that will continue as she transitions to being a valued member of the Aubuchon team,” Aubuchon said in a statement. “Without question, the Drakes are committed to making a difference in our local communities. What could be better than that?”
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