In its 90th year of operation, Beman Hardware was honored by the Granby Board of Selectmen at its Nov. 17 meeting. A proclamation was read and delivered to Joan Beman Russell, Dianne Beman Myers and the new owner of the store, Vinnie Pagano. Also present were staff members Charles and Patricia George.
Begun in the mid-1930s by George and Louise Beman, Beman’s Hardware in Granby center has been a trusted resource for generations of Granby residents, providing quality products and dependable helpful service.
George established the hardware to support his occupation as an electrical contractor realizing that having the items necessary for his job, along with items residents might need for their own projects, would be much handier than having to drive to Hartford or Springfield to find what was needed. Remember, there was no internet or Amazon in those days.
The store was always in its current location but was originally located right at the roadside. In 1973, a new building was erected further back on the property, allowing for convenient parking in front. At that time, the second generation of Bemans, Robert and Carolyn, were the owners.
When the third generation, sisters Joan and Dianne, were asked if there were any artifacts left from the early days, Joan replied that there were many antique electrical wiring devices, a lot of BX cable, an old wooden nail keg and a square five-gallon turpentine can. She also noted that there was a large quantity of hog rings, although she didn’t know if they were for ears or noses. Dianne added that they still have the old crank cash register and the original credit card machine.
The decision to sell the business to Vinnie Pagano was not made lightly. It is the first time a non-Beman has owned the store. Joan relates that she and Dianne realized that as they were getting older, business was changing in technological ways that they didn’t feel prepared to easily handle. While working in the store for a decade, Pagano graduated from Springfield Technical Community College with a degree in computer science and plenty of accounting courses under his belt. He was interested in taking on the additional responsibility of owning a business. Knowing that, “Our family would have wanted the business to continue as a family-owned operation under the Beman Hardware name, not sold to a chain,” Joan noted that the sisters felt confident that their strong staff would support him and teach him what he would experience in his new role. They did not want to miss the opportunity to make it work with him, and agreed to stay on for a while to help with the transition. The change in ownership occurred in October 2022.
Joan says that Vinnie is a knowledgeable, talented and energetic businessman. His desire to succeed and ability to gather information from other business professionals will serve Beman Hardware well in the future. “Sometimes you just need to move on a decision when the pieces are all falling into place.”
And so, Beman Hardware will continue to be, as the BOS proclamation says, “an integral part of Granby’s local economy with a dedicated staff that consistently goes above and beyond to meet the needs of their customers with knowledge, kindness and integrity.”
Editor’s note: To see a photo of an early Beman Hardware building, see our Bonus Pages!