By JEFFREY SMITH
Leader staff writer
Whit Davis Home and Hardware Plus in Sherwood opened this week with a large crowd on hand for its ribbon cutting Friday.
The store is located at 9100 Brockington Road.
Whit Davis Home and Hardware Plus is different than its Jacksonville, Cabot and Greenbrier stores in that it is hardware only, no lumber, but offers a broader selection.
The Sherwood store has extended hours, too. They are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday.
Whit Davis stores have been in business for 62 years. The first store opened in Jacksonville in 1953.
Dan Davis, store manager and grandson of Whit Davis, said, “We are very excited about the opening. It is a beautiful showcase. We’ve had the property since 2008. With the downturn in the economy, we felt it was in our best interest to delay development.
“It has been a whole lot of work, but anything worth having is worth working hard for,” Davis added.
Mayor Virginia Young said, “I have heard nothing but positives about the business and the building. I’m ecstatic about their investment in our community. Some people have told me it’s nice to run down here than to North Little Rock.”
Miriam Davis, who is the 100-year-old widow of the company’s founder, said, “This is just great. A lot of hard work was put in here. It’s much larger in here than it looks on the outside.”
Her daughter-in-law, Sue Davis, said the company is proud of the new store.
Sherwood Chamber of Commerce director Marcia Cook said, “Whit Davis started getting involved with the community and chamber before the store was finished. They have been a big supporter of Sherwood. We are thrilled they are here.”
Dan Davis said the store is trying to make its new hires from the Sherwood community.
Whit Davis Home and Hardware Plus sells plumbing supplies, lawn-and-garden tools, bins of bolts, screws and fasteners, heating and air- conditioning supplies, lighting and fixtures and electrical materials.
Paint is a major focus of the Sherwood store.
“We want to be the destination place for paint with Pratt and Lambert paints,” Dan Davis said.
“Personal service is what sets us apart,” he added.
