Lovells buy Brosey's Hardware

Toledo business owners Rick and Tonya Lovell have announced their purchase of Brosey's Hardware, in Winlock, with the intention of moving the store to Toledo by the end of next month.

Currently the owners of Flying K gas station, among other businesses on the corner of Cowltiz St. and Front St. in Downtown Toledo, the Lovells said they have harbored ambitions of opening a hardware store since they acquired their building in 1995, but said the opportunity to do so had only just presented itself in the form of a generous offer from the Brosey family.

"It was just a blessing," said Tonya Lovell of the opportunity to purcahse Brosey's, which had only just relocated from the 900 block of Kerron Ave. to the 200 block of E. Walnut St. last fall.

"We need to thank the Brosey family," added Rick Lovell, stating the store had been family-owned for close to 80 years and the Lovells are intending to honor such a tradition. "We feel gifted to hopefully follow in their footsteps."

The Lovells said they are planning to move quickly toward opening a hardware store in Toledo, possibly by the end of February, stating their plan so far is to move the hardware inventory into roughly 4,000 square feet of currently-unused space at Flying K.

"We're going to use the whole building for the first time in 20 years," said Rick Lovell of the vacant space, stating a hardware store in their building may end up turning their business model more into a general store of sorts.

But a number of details remain up in the air, such as what the name of the hardware store is going to be, and when a grand opening may take place, with Tonya Lovell stating they have only been planning on such an expansion for the last couple of weeks. One thing both of them said they are sure about is the impact a new hardware store would have on Toledo, with Rick Lovell stating he understands there has not been a full-fledged hardware store in town since the late 1990s.

"This is going to be a lot of work, but it's going to be worth it," he said. "The town needs a hardware store, that's for sure."

"It's showing another way of growth for our little town," added Tonya Lovell. "Toledo is coming back."