Satisfied with the service they have been receiving for years, a pair of Wright City brothers saw an opportunity to continue that tradition in early 2016.Aaron and Jarrett Holiway, who moved to Warren County from Cincinnati with their families in the late 1980s, had been frequent customers to Wright City Hardware. They bought many of the supplies for their construction company, American Oasis, at the store, located at 105 Elm St.So when the store was made available for purchase, the brothers saw it as a chance to ensure Wright City would not lose its hometown general store.“We had always shopped here and really liked the people we met here and had a lot of referrals,” said Aaron Holiway. Jarrett says the first goal was to fill the store, which had many vacant shelves when the brothers took ownership.“It was kind of bare,” said Jarrett. “We thought about buying it for a while before we did and considered how we could fill it.”The brothers, who specialize in paint and flooring, wanted to renovate the store to give it a makeover and modernize it, while still maintaining the traditional general store appeal.Among the newest additions are the paint department and an expansion of the automotive department.“We brought on Benjamin Moore paints, because they are the best on the market,” said Aaron. “Also, there’s no longer an automotive store in this town, so we wanted to offer auto parts. That’s something a lot of people don’t realize.”Wright City Hardware still maintains some of its original staff, with Tina Alger staying on board.“We’ve got a great staff,” said Aaron. “We continue learning a lot about the hardware business and trying to expand.”The store also offers some of the traditional general store items, such as bottled Ski soda, potato chips, Big T’s breakfast sandwiches and Ted Drewes’ ice cream.Jarrett says it’s those classics, along with knowledgeable hometown service, that help Wright City Hardware compete with the likes of Home Depot and Lowe’s.“A lot of our customers don’t want to have to drive to Wentzville,” said Aaron.“It’s an 18-mile roundtrip to one of those other stores, with a lot of stoplights in between. If you’re working on a project, you may not have that much time to step away.”The Holiway brothers say if they do not have something in stock, their motto is “We can have it by Thursday,” when the delivery truck arrives.“We’ll do our best to help our customers find what they need if we don’t have it in stock,” said Jarrett. “We even offer delivery.”Wright City Hardware will be holding a Grand Opening Saturday, June 17, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be giveaways, specials, raffles and samples, with complimentary hot dogs and hamburgers. The first 100 people will get a free cup of Ted Drewes Frozen Custard. There will be an afternoon sampling from 2-4 p.m. with vendors in attendance.

Wright City Hardware and General Store has been open under the ownership of brothers Jarrett and Aaron Holiway for around one year. On Saturday, June 17, the store will hold a grand opening ceremony from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. There will be special discounts and giveaways, with vendors present from 2 to 4 p.m. Record photo/Derrick Forsythe.