Guess what…we’re working on an e-commerce store that will be live soon. Shhh. When we launch we’re gonna have some secret promo codes that we give to those of you who are following us on Twitter and Facebook (don’t forget our newsletter too). We’ll make it worth your while to follow us.

But! Wait! Did you know that you can browse from True Value right now and place an order for items that can be shipped to our store for free? All you’ll have to do is walk in the store at your convenience (or when you’re already gonna be in the store) and pick up your order.

It may sound funny, but not a week goes past that we don’t have someone order lawn and deck furniture from True Value online and ship it to one of our stores. By doing this, you can pick and choose color, style and quantity of chairs and tables. You can also know that you’re going to be able to walk in and pick up your order when you want.

It doesn’t matter if you want to pick it up at our Doraville store or our Duluth store or our Oakwood store. Click on one of the links and you can shop online using True Value’s ship to store option. While you’re there, you can also browse each month’s official sales circular / local ad.

• Howard Brothers – Doraville, Georgia True Value Hardware Store
• Howard Brothers – Duluth, Georgia True Value Hardware Store
• Howard Brothers – Oakwood, Georgia True Value Hardware Store

We’ve been busy people the last few weeks. You can probably see that from the lack of updates going on. With this being the busiest of weeks for BBQ, you’d think we’d at least mention it.

We’ve been having very good weeks with Big Green Egg and Traeger sales. A lot of people are gearing up for this weekend. Memorial day is one of the largest holidays for grilling and smoking and 2012 looks to be no different.

This weekend, we’ve got a ton going on at our stores. We’ve got a huge True Value Memorial Day sale going on, but we’re also having a large sidewalk sale at all three of our stores. More details on that soon, but you want to make sure you set aside some time to come by and see some of the things we’re putting on sale. We’re cleaning our back rooms and basements to bring out some overstock that we’ve accumulated over the years and the price will be right!

BUT…

We’re also going to be at Brenau University in Gainesville this Friday and Saturday at the fourth annual Brenau Barbecue Championship.

Professional cook teams from throughout the southeast will be coming to Brenau to cook in three different divisions, Whole Hog, Shoulder Shank and Ribs, and our own local “Backyard Braggarts” will be competing in Ribs and Boston Butt. Both groups will have bragging rights and cash prizes on the line.

The event is a fundraiser for the student scholarship fund, but it is also a great event for the community and is a great way to kickoff your summer. It is going to be a fun event. We are not cooking (this year) but we’ll be showing off some of our Big Green Eggs and Traeger smokers/grills. We’ll have accessories that you can purchase and take home so that you’ll be prepared for your own cooking championship as you show off for your neighbors.

Check out the Brenau BBQ Championship website for more details. We hope to see you there.

Congrats to our third winner of our Milwaukee Power Tools Spring Raffle Promotion. This week’s prize was a 8gig iPod Touch. We hope Larry enjoys the iPod and that he enjoys the quality that comes with his new Milwaukee tools.

We’ve got 6 more prizes the next 6 Mondays. Be sure to get into one of our stores for a chance to win.

Thanks Milwaukee!

If you’ve done much grass aerating in the past, you know how heavy a walk behind aerator can be. You know how brutal it is to the operator’s body, and you probably wonder if there is a better way to do it.

Presenting the Better way.

Easy to use controls – Intuitive operation

• Weight directly over tines to maximize core depth
• Compact size as compared to competitive offerings
• Split tines for easier turning with tines engaged
• Self-cleaning and easy to replace tines
• Foot pedal for tine engagement
• Tine down – force hydraulic actuated (also adjustable)
• 1-year limited warranty

This piece of equipment makes an ideal addition to someone who already had an Exmark fleet, but it also is ideal for someone running another brand but needs a superior aerator. In fact, once you try this Exmark Aerator, you may decide to ditch your other brand for Exmark.

It has a 30″ working width that allows for you to pull plugs at 2″ – 5″ depth. It comes with 48 coring tines and can operate at speeds of 7.5 mph. Try doing that with a traditional walk behind aerator.

We’ve already placed over a dozen of these into the Atlanta commercial landscape market. We’re really excited about it and believe that you will be excited also. If you’d like some more information, let us know by filling out the form below.

Congrats to our second winner of our Milwaukee Power Tools Spring Raffle Promotion. This week’s prize was a 4 pack of Atlanta Braves tickets valued at $100. We hope Mario enjoys the game and hope to see some pictures while there.

We’ve got 7 more prizes the next 7 Mondays. Be sure to get into one of our stores for a chance to win.

Thanks Milwaukee!

I recently had the opportunity to talk to Marty Cape, one of our Power Equipment Salesmen in Oakwood. Marty has been with Howards for several years and is a big part of the team in Oakwood.

When you meet Marty for the first time, you’ll quickly feel comfortable talking to him. He is not a pushy salesman. He listens to your need and asks questions to make sure that he understands the full situation before he tries to recommend a particular piece of equipment. He is a relationships oriented guy and really enjoys getting to know his customers to make a deeper connection.

Howard Brothers Oakwood carries industry best brands such as Exmark, Scag, STIHL, Echo, Honda and Snapper.

Congrats to our first winner of our Milwaukee Power Tools Spring Raffle Promotion. This week’s prize was a 4 pack of Atlanta Braves tickets valued at $100. We hope Melinda enjoys the game and hope to see some pictures while there.

We’ve got 8 more prizes the next 8 Mondays. Be sure to get into one of our stores for a chance to win.

Thanks Milwaukee!

This IS the Hardward Store you’re looking for.

Tomorrow may be May the 5th or Cinco de Mayo, but today is May the Fourth or Unofficial National Star Wars Day. Let us be the first to tell you “May the fourth be with You.”

Now, if you will, allow me to somehow relate some popular Star Wars quotes with the shopping experience we hope you will have at Howard Brothers.

The truth of the matter is, we like to have fun with our business. And it is a family business. And the service is strong in our family.  To those customers who know us, they know that we are often able to read their minds about projects that they have in the works. You see, true customer service ain’t like dusting crops, boy! Without actual hands on knowledge of the problem we could fly right through a star, or bounce too close to a supernova and that’d end your project real quick, wouldn’t it?

And that is why we often have people come to us knowing they can’t get help anywhere else.

Help me Howard Brothers Hardware, you are my only hope.

And our answer is:

We’re Howard Brothers, we’re here to rescue you.

There are a lot of places that TRY to deliver real customer service, we have one thing to say about that.

No! Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.

So, Don’t go to a Big Box Store. As Admirable Ackbar says:

If you’re a regular to our stores, especially our Duluth store, surely you’ve noticed the major re-merchandising that has occurred on our drill bit aisle. Not only have we brought in a full line of drillbits by Milwaukee, but we’ve changed out our hole saws, reciprocating saw blades and a lot of other products. We’ve become big believers and supporters of Milwaukee Tools and their accessories. We’re impressed by the company, the product and the level of service that we can get from them.

Basically, they are giving us the level of service and reliability that we strive to give our own customers. Starting today, May 1, we’re really excited to get a big promotion underway with them.

To help get our customers excited about the products, we’re offering a raffle promotion from May 1 to June 30th. For each dollar you spend on Milwaukee tools or accessories, you will be given a number of raffle tickets that will enter you to win 1 of 9 great prizes.

Milwaukee Tools and Accessories Purchase Total: 

• $1 – $25 = 1 Ticket
• $26 – $50 = 2 Tickets
• $51 – $75 = 3 Tickets
• $76 – $100 = 4 Tickets
• $101 – $125 = 5 Tickets
• $126 – $150 = 6 Tickets
• $151 – $175 = 7 Tickets
• $176 – $200 = 8 Tickets
• $201 – $250 = 9 Tickets
• $251 + = 10 Tickets

The contest will run from May 1 thru June 30. Purchase total applies to Milwaukee Products Only. Customers will be given raffle tickets upon checkout. Tickets must be filled out entirely and placed in the raffle container. Howard Brothers will draw a name every Monday for nine weeks. The name drawn will win the weekly prize. Howard Brothers will contact the winner via phone or email. Winners have the opportunity to win again in later weeks, however, each week the winning ticket will be discarded. No limit of entries.

SO… What are the prizes?

• May 7 – Four Atlanta Braves Tickets (Value $100)
• May 14 - Four Atlanta Braves Tickets (Value $100)
• May 21 – iPod Touch (8gb)
• May 28 – Milwaukee 2590-20 M12 Radio
• June 4 – Milwaukee 2602-22 M18 18-Volt Cordless 1/2-Inch Hammer Drill/Driver Kit
• June 11 – Milwaukee 2494-22 M12 Cordless Combo Drill Kit, 2 Battery
• June 18 – Milwaukee 2491-24 12-Volt M12 Combo Kit
• June 25 – Toshiba 32C120U – 32″ 720p LCD TV
• July 2 – Medium Big Green Egg Combo Kit

Isn’t that a great list of prizes? It’s going to be a lot of fun. We’re going to video the weekly raffle drawings and hopefully post some pictures of the winners. We think that everyone will become as excited about Milwaukee Tools and their accessories as we are. We’ll be drawing from our Duluth store, but we’ll be getting any tickets submitted by Doraville or Oakwood delivered to the Duluth Store prior to the weekly drawing.

Good luck!

How in the world is it already May of 2012? We are coming off an incredible April at Howard Brothers, which really followed an amazing March. The landscape industry is in full swing in Atlanta. All three of our stores have been seeing large numbers of landscaping businesses adding new machines to their fleets, and at the same time, fixing older machines.

While we love seeing our landscape professional customers, we also love when homeowners come in for advice and help. During the past two months, we’ve been seeing increasing numbers of homeowners at all three of our stores. That has been a whole lot of fun getting to meet new people whom we can win over from the big box stores.

True Value Hardware advertises 3 to 4 items per month that are called their “Bargains of the Month.”

The first Bargain of the Month is a 16.6lb bag of Kingsford Charcoal Briquets. We sell an enormous amount of Big Green Egg Natural lump charcoal. We’ve even talked about the differences in standard briquettes versus natural charcoal, but the fact of the matter is that a LOT of people still like the Kingsford flavor, and you can’t beat the price. For the month of May, you can pick up this charcoal for $6.99 per bag. That’s about 36% off of normal price. Get it while you can.

The second item that you might want to pick up a bag or two of, is this Miracle Gro potting mix. This 2 cu. foot bag is a professional blend of Canadian sphagnum peat moss. YES, You heard that right… CANADIAN Sphagnum. You just can’t get peat moss like this in the states… OK, I jest, but this is some superb potting mix that you can use with flowers or food plants. It is on sale for $8.99 a bag, but there is a mail in rebate for $5 that brings the cost down to $3.99 per bag. This is fantastic! Limit 2 per household… So if you need 4, just get your neighbors to buy two for you.

I know what you’re saying… “Rebate, I hate rebates. UNLESS you tell me that I can roll several together.” You’re in luck! Let’s bundle some rebates!

April showers bring May flowers (well, that and weeds). The third bargain of the month is a 40oz bottle of Ortho Weed B Gon in Concentrate form. Kill some weeds without killing your lawn. We’ve had lots of folks coming in getting lawn chemicals to try and control weeds. This is a low entry point for you to get something that will help in your fight against the dreaded weed. Sale price is $8.99, but there’s a $4 mail in rebate, bringing this bottle down to $4.99.

By the way, there are more products available for the True Value Family Rebate. You can take $7 off a bag of Scotts Super Turf Builder, $6 off any 4.5 lb Miracle Gro Shake ‘n Feed plant food, and also $5 off a 1.33 gallon Roundup Pump ‘n Go Weed & Grass Killer.

But Back to our Official True Value Bargains of the Month. 

Last is the item that will sell out quickly. They were popular last year and are returning this year: the colorful solar powered stake lights. They have a color changing LED that automatically rotates red, blue and green. AND these are the ones that came in designs such as a flower, dragonfly, humming bird and butterfly. These babies are normally $9.99 and are on sale for $4.99! If only there was a holiday for moms coming up this month for whom you could purchase several sets of these… Oh wait.

So don’t delay, these deals are great for the month of May. We can’t wait to see you in our store. You’re the reason we are in business. Happy May.