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Using the right foundation to improve Alliston Home Hardware

April 18, 2013   ·   0 Comments

The North American Retail Hardware Association (NRHA) recently recognized Alliston business owner, Kim Ytsma, as one of its Young Retailer of the Year Award recipients. Ytsma is the dealer-owner of Alliston’s Home Hardware Building Centre. The award recognizes those individuals (aged 35-years or younger) who excel as industry retailers within the United States and Canada. Recipients are chosen from various categories, with winners being selected on criteria including: career achievements, community involvement, professional and extracurricular activities. Ytsma has excelled in almost every category, causing her to stand out from the competition.

Ytsma’s promotion to owner was completely unexpected, and involved a lot of impromptu learning. With the unfortunate death of her father (John Ytsma), she quickly became the stores leader. Ytsma admits that it was a reality check, which made her realize that she was in the ‘real world’, “I needed to find a way to keep my staff employed, and the customers happy”. The staff at Alliston’s Home Hardware Building Centre has been extremely supportive with the stores transition, which has been easy with Ytsma leading by example. The store provides its customers with various specialty products including: houseware, paint, electrical, kitchen, and bath. Ytsma ensures that her staff receives the necessary training and education to properly serve customers, and remain up to date with industry trends. The ceremony for the Young Retailer of the Year Award will take place in Las Vegas, on May 6th.

By Michael Tomasone

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