The owners of Sebo’s Hardware have sold the store to the owners of four hardware stores in the Kitsap Valley and Olympic Peinsula.
Dave and Valerie Sem, who have been involved with both owning and operating Sebo’s since its opening in 1987 sold the store to Henery Do it Best Hardware. A news release says the new owner is experienced in the hardware business and has strong ties to the community.
Under Sem’s leadership, Sebo’s has continued to grow even in difficult economic times. With the outlook now even stronger, and the store continuing to do well, Dave Sem felt the time was right to retire. He says the idea of selling the business came about after conversations with Matthew Henery, who co-owns Henery Hardware along with his father, Mike.
“The attraction of the Sebo’s Anacortes location was very strong,” Matthew Henery said. “Our other stores in Port Townsend, Kingston, Quilcene and Bremerton are very similar with a full range of product and expert customer service, so Sebo’s was an excellent fit from a culture and product perspective.”
The Henery family has additional ties to Anacortes; Mike’s brother, Steve, lives in Anacortes and currently serves as Senior VP of Skagit State Bank, where he has supported organizations like the Kiwanis Club, Anacortes school district and the Chamber of Commerce.
Matthew Henery intends to maintain the Sebo’s name for now but may eventually transition it to Henery Hardware. “We recognize that Sebo’s is very well respected in Anacortes, so we are not in any hurry to change the name,” he said. “But we also see value in a consistent brand image across all of our locations.”
Henery said little if anything will change for Sebo’s loyal customers. “We’ll strive to provide the same great service that customers expect. We are strong believers in giving back to the community and the staff will stay the same,” he added. Henery said their other stores have very strong lawn and garden departments and customers might see that area expand in the spring.
Like Sebo’s, Henery Hardware is a member-owner of Do it Best Corp., an international co-op distributor of hardware, lumber and building material products with more than 3,800 independently-owned locations in the US and 54 other countries.