Strategies_Fall2025

CUSTOMER PROFILE

Aisles of Opportunity Finding the Right Partner Makes All the Difference

Hunny-Do’s Hardware owners Brenda Richard (pictured) and Oren Hawksford worked with the Blish-Mize team to build their store from the ground up.

W hen Brenda Richard and Oren Hawksford decided to open a hardware store, it was more than just starting a business—it was the continuation of a story that began years ago at a local hardware store. “I met him in a hardware store,” Brenda says. “He came in not long after he first moved here, asking for the strangest things. Half the time, I’m convinced he didn’t need what he was asking for—he just wanted to irritate me.”

With the help of Blish-Mize, they transformed their vision into reality, turning a long-held dream into a fully stocked, locally owned hardware store in the heart of Valliant, Oklahoma. Both long-time residents of Valliant, they experienced hardware supplies. They knew their town needed a convenient, well-stocked local hardware store. “We both work hard and wanted to work for ourselves,” Brenda says. “We purchased various properties over the years and during our remodels, firsthand the frustration of driving miles for basic

The friendly banter eventually turned into a friendship, and over the years, into a partnership in life and business. Now they’ve come full circle, this time on the other side of the counter, running a hardware store of their own to serve their community. “It’s something we can call ours,” Oren says. “We wanted to work for ourselves and build something here that would make life easier for people in town. Before, we’d have to drive miles just to get the supplies we needed. Now people can stay right here at home.”

22 Fall 2025 • Hardlines Strategies