After an impressive 50 years in the Hardware Industry, Jim Anderson received the Estwing Golden Hammer Award, along with a Supply-Build Canada NHPA Award.
The Estwing Golden Hammer Award is a prestigious honor from Estwing Manufacturing Company, recognizing retailers who have served in the hardware and home improvement industry for 50 years or more. It is presented to individuals who have reached this milestone, signifying a long and dedicated career in the field. The award is presented to individuals across North America.
Bob Coutts, owner of Coutts Home Hardware, where Anderson works, says that he nominated Anderson for the award, through Home Hardware, who handles all such achievements for their dealers. He says there were 13 given out this past year, compared to just three or four normally.
The Award acknowledges a retail sales persons’ commitment and longevity in the independent home improvement channel. It also is only given to those who have worked in the hardware industry for 50 years. Estwind is a well-known hand tool manufacturer, and this award is considered to be one of the most prestigious and distinguished awards in the home improvement industry.
Anderson started work for Stan Coutts, in 1974 he helped with the construction of the new store, helped move into the new store, and started work at Coutts Hardware in January 1974.
Stan was his uncle, his mother’s brother. Anderson’s father had the grocery store in Forestburg, where he worked for a number of years, from around age 13 to 19.
With his 70th birthday approaching, Anderson says he has no plans to retire. “I’m not sure what I’d do.”
He says of his long time working in hardware sales, “I enjoy the challenges, and keeping up on building codes, electrical codes, and plumbing codes so I know I’m giving our customers good advice. That knowledge has come in handy. It’s remarkable, sometimes, when a customer will come back and say, ‘You were right.’
“I enjoy what I do, I enjoy the challenge.”
Anderson doesn’t claim to have unlimited knowledge, he says over the years he’s developed some great resources, but lately, he adds, “I’m finding that some of my contacts are retiring.”
He says, “If I get to the space I don’t enjoy it, then I’ll retire.”
Anderson didn’t work the entire 50 years in Forestburg, he left in the fall of 1979 to work as a salesman for Walter Woods, a wholesale hardware dealer, until 1981. He says, “Stan called me when Link Hardware and Home Hardware merged, and he asked me to come back because Home Hardware used more technology and he needed help for the conversion from Link to Home Hardware.”
Anderson says he remembers his Uncle Stan (Coutts) receiving his gold hammer and saw back in 1983.
Anderson has been very active outside his work in the community, too. He worked with Scouts Canada, as a cub leader in 1975 until becoming Deputy Regional Commissioner in 1991 when he retired after receiving the Medal of Merit.
He helped with the local Youth Centre in 1977-78, becoming president of that board in 1984. When the building had a fire in 1987, he oversaw the rebuild, before retiring in 1991.
Anderson is a founding member of the Forestburg Kinsmen Club, and helped with the construction of the Kinsmen RV Park, also becoming the volunteer manager of the park from 1988 to 2019.
He worked with Uncles at Large from 1979 to 1984.
Anderson was also a member of the Forestburg Fire Deparmtent from 1984 to 2000, initially doing radio communication before joining as an active firefighter in 2000. He retired in 2021, but not before receiving his 20 year service medal in 2022.
He is also a member of the Forestburg Historical Society; he joined in 1986, served as Chairman from 2006 to 2009, and remains an active member.
Anderson joined Rural Crime Watch, from 2006 to 2010, and was a member of Citizens on Patrol in Forestburg from 2009 to 2011.
Anderson received the Forestburg Citizen of the Year award in 2017.
Anderson received the award from Home Hardware Southern Alberta Territory Manager Sharmange Ray. A video featuring this years Golden Hammer Award winners was featured at this year’s Home Hardware AGM, and the winners were invited to a zoom meeting with Home Hardware President Ian White.
Coutts Home Hardware held a receiption on Tuesday, May 20 for Andrson, with around 70 people dropping in to congratulate him on this achievement.
Leslie Cholowsky
Editor
