Posted on 01 July 2015 by La Habra Journal
By Taylor Engle
La Habra Journal
Family-owned Canning’s Ace Hardware has been satisfying customers in La Habra for 55 years and counting. Located on La Habra Boulevard, it is a convenient spot for customers to purchase a spare part or tool for a project they are working on.
Jay Seidel/La Habra Journal
The hardware store: The Johnson family stresses friendly and helpful customer service and product selection in order to help keep Cannings Ace Hardware successful in La Habra.
Canning’s Ace Hardware has been around for over half a century and was first opened by the Canning family. However, the Johnson family bought the hardware store from the Cannings family in 1970 and have been running it ever since. Co-owners Irene Johnson and her son Dick Johnson currently own four other hardware stores in the Southern California area, one under the name Johnson’s Hardware and the other three under the name L.B. Johnson. The Johnsons have been in the hardware business for four generations. Johnson’s Hardware, located in Rialto, was opened in 1919 by Dick’s great-grandfather. The Johnsons first bought Canning’s Ace Hardware when Dick was still a college student, but he quickly became involved in the store. “My years in the hardware business have been good,” Johnson said. “We’ve gotten to the point in La Habra where we’re seeing the same faces every Saturday. There are people who have been coming to us for 30 years or more, and yet we still see new faces pretty often. It’s a lot of fun.” Johnson described Canning’s Ace Hardware as a “homeowner-type store.” The store carries items that are difficult to find at the big chains Home Depot and Lowe’s and the staff is focused on helping each customer solve whatever problem they come in with, no matter how strange it may be. “I like the challenge,” Johnson admitted. “People come in with problems and it’s always interesting to see the way we figure out how to fix it. Sometimes it can be pretty nonconventional.” Dick and Irene are constantly moving around overseeing their multiple stores, which leaves manager of Canning’s Jeff Belongia to hold down the fort the majority of the week. Belongia has been with the store for 17 years and helps customers in the store and on the phone with their day-to-day needs. For Belongia and the Johnsons, it’s the attention-to-detail of the staff and the fact that they have the customer’s best interest at heart that keeps Canning’s Ace Hardware up to speed with its competitors. This is a store that provides a thorough and friendly experience. With four stars of approval on Yelp, the majority of the reviews rave about the excellent customer service and variety of product. Yelper Bruce L. of Whittier emphasized that at Canning’s Ace Hardware, you don’t need to buy that one bolt or nut you need in a bulk package like you would at a larger commercial store.
It’s this kind of convenience that keeps customers coming back to Canning’s Ace Hardware.
Cannings Ace Hardware 344 W. La Habra Blvd, La Habra,
(562) 697-8118
HOURS: Mon- Sat
6:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
