Jerre B. Elliott founded Elliott’s Hardware in 1947, first located inside an old house on Maple Avenue in downtown Dallas until the 1960s. This year, Elliott’s Hardware is celebrating its 71st year of business.

“He had always been a salesman in different businesses,” Elliott’s granddaughter and store brand manager Andrea Spencer said. “But he decided to go out on his own, and he started Elliott’s by purchasing unclaimed freight and this and that.”

Spencer said when Elliott did not have an item a customer needed, he would tell them that he would have it by the end of the day. When Elliott found the item, he would purchase two: one for the customer and one to put on the shelf.

“That’s how he built his inventory,” Spencer said.

Elliott’s Hardware has four locations in Dallas, Grapevine, Mesquite and Plano. Elliott’s will open its fifth location later this year in Fairview.

Andrea said Elliott’s prides itself in its extensive plumbing department, which has parts that fit older homes and unique, hard-to-find parts.

Other customer favorites include the store’s fasteners department, which has hundreds of bolts, nuts, screws and nails available for individual purchase, and the Hardware Plus department, which offers a wide variety of cabinet hardware and bath fixtures.

Elliott’s has sold hardware equipment to several commercial customers, including painters, general contractors, local municipalities, school districts, hospitals, and big buildings and property management companies located downtown. Although Elliott’s began as a small local business, it is now competing with big-box hardware stores.

“We are known for having an outstanding selection, for stocking items that are hard to find elsewhere and our customer service,” Spencer said.

Spencer said the company has built a reputation among customers of having a wide variety of products. If a homeowner needs something, there is a good chance they have it in stock, she said.