Family Hardware Store Perseveres Through Changing Times

JULY 26, 2023

Members of the Schink family were busy with customers on a Tuesday afternoon at Schink’s Hardware Inc. in Duquesne, where tools and parts adorn every inch of space from the brick red carpeted floor to the very high white coffered ceiling.

Business comes in spurts. Gary Schink duplicated a key for a customer. The hum of the motor and squealing sound of the metal blank being cut drowned out some of the conversation. Jeff Schink assisted another customer shopping for small plumbing parts. A woman gathered products that she needed to purchase for a project, and Joan Schink got up from the steps near the register to wait on her.

The family-owned business, located on Grant Avenue for nearly 80 years, spans multiple generations and embodies the Mon Valley values of hard work, resilience, and commitment to the local community. Founder Paul Schink started Schink’s Hardware Inc. as an independent store in October 1945 after working as a bookkeeper at the former U.S. Steel Duquesne Works.

The store has remained in the same long rectangular red brick building, a former appliance store, since then, becoming a cornerstone of the community. An addition was added in 1997.

It’s a place where businesses and people from all around exchange stories, seek advice and find the materials to repair or update their homes. There’s a wide variety of merchandise, everything from “soup to nuts,” Joan said. It’s all carefully arranged and displayed on metal shelving and white pegboard for easy access.

The family is well known for figuring out what you need, and if they don't have it on the shelves, they will order it for you. When you walk into the store you are greeted warmly and directed to the product that you need; unlike the big box stores where you're left to endlessly wander. Long narrow aisles run from the front to the back of the store, and fluorescent lighting illuminates everything. Hand-drawn signs give an authentic feel.

Every bit of 2,700 square feet of space is utilized and well organized. The store is jam packed with tools, nuts, bolts, light bulbs, plumbing parts, lawn care products, plant seeds, candy, and paint. You can get keys made and screens repaired.

Gary, 82, and his wife Joan, 79, reside in West Mifflin. They work together along with their son Jeff, 58, of Dravosburg. Jeff’s brother-in-law Rob Seabol, 51, of Liberty, has worked there for the past three years. When asked how it was for them to work together all day every day as a family, Joan jokingly said, “We get sick of looking at each other.”

They work well together after all these years, but naturally want space when at the end of the workday. “At 5:30 I say ‘goodbye’ and I don’t want to see you till tomorrow.” Joan said with a laugh.

During the 77 years Schink’s has been open, nine to 10 other family members have been employed by the store. Jeff’s son Brendan worked there on school breaks and sold hot dogs out front. His hard work enabled him to graduate from college debt free, his father said.

 Over the years, customers become friends too.“We probably know 90 percent of the customers really well” and “maybe some of the women feel more comfortable with me,” Joan said. “Sometimes they're hesitant about what they need, and they come to me and then we chit chat for a while.

 “Because you get to know your customers really well, a lot of them will come just to talk when they don't even need to buy something.”

Customers have been appreciative of their kindness, knowledge, and help. The Schinks have been recipients of fruit bouquets, sandwiches, doughnuts, and a lot of coffee over the years. One grateful customer even created a sign for them that still hangs in the store from 2020.

They often go the extra mile in helping customers. Jeff recalled an older gentleman in his 80’s who, unable to drive, would place a big order for delivery and ask, “When you bring all the stuff over, stop and get me a bottle of whisky and two packs of cigarettes and I’ll pay you for everything.” They would get the whole order together and deliver it all.

Another aspect of their Mon Valley relevance is their generosity. They have donated to local churches, purchased Girl Scout cookies and numerous tickets benefitting local charities and events. They have supported West Mifflin’s youth baseball teams for many years. A billboard advertising the store has adorned the outfield fence since Jeff was a young player. A favorite charity is Jamie’s Dream Team, a non-profit organization that assists people who are injured, seriously ill or have experienced catastrophic events.

The Schinks have had their challenges; first and foremost, the mill shut down in 1984, leaving countless families facing uncertain futures and forcing other businesses to close. “If the customers didn't appreciate us, we wouldn't still be here”, Gary said. “We had to find our niche,” Jeff added.

When the mill was open, the line to their shop on payday went all the way down to 1st Street. Foot traffic declined as population fell following the mill closure from over 20,000 to around 5,000 today. “The money was there when the mill was there”, Gary said, reflecting.

Their store had to adapt to survive a second time when big box stores arrived, changing inventory and stocking items such as parts for older faucets that are no longer produced.

In the past, when the population was higher, Schenk’s sold small appliances and a lot of housewares, especially pots and pans. They once sold toys, bikes, Christmas lights and trees, even American Flyer trains. In the 1950s they had a toy catalog.

As of 2021, 28.3 percent of Duquesne families were living under the poverty level, and many likely don’t have the resources to buy items to beautify their home.

“We do our best to roll with the changes,” Jeff said. “We’re still here so we’re doing something right.”

Word of mouth and Facebook has been the best advertising for them. “Because we don’t have the Daily News anymore it’s harder for small businesses today advertising wise. We just don’t have printed papers anymore to advertise in,” Jeff said.

Despite the city of Duquesne being scarred from the mill closing, and losing population and businesses, Schink’s Hardware has continued to evolve and serve the Mon Valley. It has become a symbol of perseverance, and a witness to the spirit of the people that they serve. The shelves are full not just of tools and materials, but the hopes, dreams, and stories of a community that refuses to be defeated.

- Jennifer McCalla