Website Accessibility Policy Fitchburg, MA My Cart Home About Us FAMILY BUSINESS Founded by William E Aubuchon in 1908, Aubuchon Hardware is the oldest family-owned and managed Hardware Store chain in America. With more than 100 stores in New England and Upstate NY, we've been a local mainstay for generations. Over the years we've grown, but we still earn our customer's trust and loyalty the old fashioned way: By having the items you need, at prices you can afford, with the convenient shopping experience and friendly, knowledgeable service you expect. FIND A STORE A LOOK BACK AT OUR ROOTS 1900 Start Of A New Life As so often happens with immigration into the United States, it all began with adversity. And so it was with the Aubuchon Family. On April 3, 1901, a young widow, Georgianna Aubuchon and three of her four teenage children left Canada and entered the United States in search of employment and a better life. They came to Fitchburg, MA, where the two eldest, William and Arthur began working in the yarn mills. Albanie remained at home with her mother, while John stayed for awhile with an uncle on a farm in Yamaska, P.Q. Life was not easy, but there were many French-Canadians making the same transitions. They migrated to the same areas of towns so that they could maintain their language and customs, but at the same time learn the "new ways." 1908 Company Founded Eventually, William (Willie) left the mills and began working for Mr. Emile Dion, who owned a hardware store in the French-Canadian section of Fitchburg-Cleghorn. On February 9, 1908, Willie bought out Mr. Dion and the first Aubuchon Hardware store was born. 1920 The Early Years By the end of the 1920's there were eight stores in central Massachusetts. At the same time Willie's brother, John, joined the Company and his older brother, Arthur, was running his own hardware store. 1930 Growth & Adversity The 1930's brought growth. Twenty-two more stores were added which included the first New Hampshire stores. But, these were also times of adversity. It was a difficult time for the nation and Aubuchon Hardware also felt set-backs. The first problem was the Flood of 1936. The whole Warehouse at 28 Rollstone St. in Fitchburg was under 8 feet of water. Three boats and a canoe were used to pluck the floating merchandise from the water. As the water receded, items were scooped from the mud and silt. After school, the children of the family would go to the Warehouse, where they washed and cleaned all salvgeable items. The loss was $60,000, a sizable amount of money in those days. As they were just beginning to recover from the Flood, there was the Hurricane of 1938. Damage again was severe. The roof was torn off one end of the Warehouse and the water damage was as bad as it had been in the Flood. But, once again, Willie perservered. Here was a man who only went to the fifth grade, but he had a "can-do" attitude. He saw opportunities. He seized them. He surrounded himself with smart people. And his success continued to grow.! 1940 The Second World War During the 1940's many of the young men went to serve their country during World War II. Expansion of the Company was not in the forefront of everyone's mind. But, by 1948, with the War over, there were 32 stores and expansion was on the horizon. 1950 Post War Expansion The 1950's were busy indeed. William E. Aubuchon, Jr., Willie's eldest son, was elected President in June, 1950. However, this does not mean that Willie retired. Indeed not! Until his death in 1971, he came to work daily, as did his brother John, who died 10 years later in 1981. Willie's other sons, Peter and Bernard, and John's sons, Paul and Gerard, also joined the Company during these years. The Post War 50's brought the addition of 22 new stores. Most of these new stores were in Vermont, with some in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. M. Marcus Moran, Sr., Willie's son-in-law, was in charge of the Realty Company and you can imagine how many leases he has had to read during his career! 1960 A Decade of Rapid Growth The 1960's continued to see rapid expansion. The first store was opened in Connecticut (Putnam) as well as the first store in Maine (Wells). There were 43 stores added in that decade and to this day it remains the decade of most rapid store growth. 1970 Warehouse Expansion As can be imagined, warehousing became a problem and Phase One of the new Westminster, MA Distribution Center was built in 1970. Phase Two was completed in 1973 and the offices were moved from Fitchburg to Westminster in 1974. Phase Three opened in 1990. In the meantime, store growth continued. The first New York store was opened in Port Henry in 1966. By the end of the 1970's, 28 new stores were part of the Company. And the first computer was brought on board. Of course during all of this time it must be remembered that not only were new stores being opened, but older stores were being moved, remodeled, or even closed. The Fixture Shop has consistently remained a viable link to the success of all this growth. 1980 Paint Sales Growth Then came the decade of the 1980's. There were 36 new stores added. It was also the beginning of a wonderful relationship with Glidden Paint in 1980. This decade represented the most rapid sales growth in the history of the Company. 1990 Third Generation Management The third generation of family management started in 90's with William E. Aubuchon, III and M. Marcus Moran, Jr. becoming CEO and President/Treasurer respectively. For the first time in company history, telephones were installed in the stores in 1992. In 1996 Aubuchon launched their first website 2000 Celebrating 100 Years On February 9th, 2008 Aubuchon Hardware celebrated its 100th anniversary and launched the Aubuchon Foundation, which provides funding to worthwhile local charities within the communities they serve. The end of 2009 into the beginning of 2010 we entered into an exclusive relationship with Benjamin Moore Paints. 2010 To Present Today, under the direction of William E. Aubuchon IV, great grandson of the founder, the company continues to adapt to an ever changing retail environment with a relentless focus on retail innovation and customer convenience. Get exclusive offers (like 30% off your first order) SUBSCRIBE By providing your email, you agree to our Privacy policy and Terms My Account Contact Us Membership FAQ Store Locator Site Map Privacy Policy About Us Careers Accessibility Return Policy © Copyright W.E.Aubuchon Co., Inc.