Hello Portland, Woody here from your Save A Lot. Today, we honor Andy Janes. I have managed our Save A Lot store for the last 5 years and I can tell you the grocery business can be tough. Sometimes I feel like I can use immediate therapy. When that happens I walk around the store and look for something I need to repair or something I might need to fix in the future. Actually, I’m looking for any reason to walk across the street to the BEST little hardware in Louisville: Janes Brothers. From the moment I walk through those doors the weight of the world is left on their doorstep. Inside, I can find Andy Janes ordering the store or having a conversation with a local ‘do it yourselfer’. It’s like home.
Janes Brothers Hardware was opened in January of 1946, founded by two brothers named Thomas and Lawson Janes. Lawson is Andy’s grandfather. After many years in the business, they sold to Andy’s father and his father eventually sold it to Andy. He started in 1977 while in college at Indiana University where he majored in Business. He came on full time in 1981 and purchased it in 2000. It was a fraction of the size it is now. There were 2 addresses: 2525 and 2527 Portland Avenue. Over the years they became one building. Eventually, the back of the store received an addition. You can see where the original hardwood floor ended and the new addition began. Take a look the next time you visit and be sure and compliment him on the snazzy new shelving he’s acquired. It’s like a mini remodel. He’s quite proud of it.
Unfortunately, Andy’s children are not interested in taking over the family business. They have all carved out very successful careers in their chosen fields. Fortunately, though, Andy has no plans to retire anytime in the near future. He enjoys the store and has 6 amazing employees. Some have been with him over 30 years. That’s a testament to great leadership. They each have wonderfully unique personalities. When I was asking some of them how long they had been there, Melvin jumped in and said he’d started at about 8 o’clock that morning. Whenever I get to feeling too good about myself, I go talk to Melvin. He keeps me humble.
Looking around I was fascinated to find that a hardware store carries bait. The reason? Turns out the corner building, formally a florist was Shad and Earnie’s Bait and Groceries. Prior to that it was the Roy Tan Tavern. When Shad and Earnie’s closed, Andy felt it was his civic duty to keep Portland in night- crawlers.
I don’t know what it is, but I love a good hardware and I have been in many. None of them come close to the charm, friendliness, knowledge and sheer variety of inventory that makes up Janes Brother’s hardware. I love it!
Andy, as a small token of our appreciation for what you contribute to the Portland Community, we’d like to offer you a $50.00 Gift Card to Save A Lot. You can pick it up anytime you’d like. On second thought, I’ll just bring it to you and look at tools.
