The True Value Hardware store in Schnecksville is celebrating its grand reopening this weekend with a ribbon cutting at noon today, complete with food, festivities, and a chance to win a Weber grill.

Matthew Moyer, the general manager, said the activities on Saturday will include cooking demonstrations on a Weber grill with both charcoal and propane, a Spin It to Win It game with multiple prizes, and food trucks. The store is also donating to the Schnecksville Fire Department.

“It’s another way of giving back to the local community,” Moyer said.

True Value moved in October from its previous location in the shopping center along Route 873 to its new storefront, just a few doors down in the same shopping center. Jerry Wasson, a consultant and retired manager of the store, said the reason for the move is because the shopping center was sold in January 2021 and the new owners wanted to put in a Dollar Tree in that section and expand it. It was a win-win for True Value, because they were able to expand, too, and renovate their new store location.

“We outgrew that about 10 years ago,” Wasson said. “It gives us almost twice as much space as we had before.”

The True Value has gone from 6,500 square feet to nearly 12,000 square feet.

Moyer said they have been able to stock more items, add more cash registers, and expand the patio, fishing and camping section. Now instead of displaying just three grills, they can display 13, and have added patio fireplaces and furniture.

The store has also expanded its services. Now, they can fix screens, program automotive keys with the computer chip, and expanded the paint department. They can color match from a paint chip from a competitor’s store or even a piece of fabric.

Wasson said if selecting the right color of paint is a problem, “You’ve come to the right place.” Moyer added that they help customers find the right paint for the job.

“You’re going to want the best price, so we guide people to the right one for the job,” Moyer said.

Moyer said he and his staff moved the entire store from one location to the next in two days, and never closed for business. They just kept helping customers throughout the whole process as they packed, renovated and stocked the new store.

“This was a classic do-it-yourself,” Wasson said.

“I couldn’t ask for a better team,” Moyer said. “Things could have been a lot harder. I really do have the team here to thank immensely.”

Store employee Kim Thideman has been with the Schecksville store for three years, but she worked for True Value in another state for 25 years.

“I would so much rather work for a small hardware store than a large one,” she said. “I always enjoy seeing new faces in the store.”

“I love it,” employee Brian Holgate said about working for True Value.

Karen Reeve has been a store employee for 19 years.

“It’s wonderful. It’s open and bright,” she said about the new location. “I love this floor.”

The floors are done up in a light gray wood.

Thideman agreed.

“It feels so much more open,” Thideman said. “The customers were so excited when they walked in those first few days. It was nice.”

Since opening in the new location, the store has seen a 25% increase in sales, Wasson said. There are more customers now and they are lingering in the store longer, and purchasing more items.

The Schnecksville store is the second one for owners Joseph and Patricia Arieta. They also own a True Value in Nesquehoning that they started with Joseph’s father, Frank Arieta.

Hardware stores are in their blood.

Arieta said his father opened an unbranded hardware store in 1967. The two of them then opened a True Value in Nesquehoning on West Catawissa Street in 1983. That location is now where the borough hall is located. The store moved to its current location on Willow Lane in 1996.

Arieta said he got the idea for the second store while traveling through Schnecksville on his way to Emmaus to pick up supplies.

“I always liked this area,” he said. “I told the True Value rep that this would be a good location for a store. That’s how we ended up here.”

They opened the Schnecksville True Value store in 1984.