Along with celebrating 15 years of ownership of Katy Hardware in April, Kay and Mickey Powers are also preparing to move the store to a new, larger location.

A fixture on Avenue B in Old Town Katy for decades, Katy Hardware will relocate to its new location—625 Pin Oak Road—in the fall. The business’s new building, which is an 11,500-square-foot space, is more than double its current size.

“We still want it to be convenient to all of our longtime customers,” Kay said of the new, nearby location.

The Columbus-based couple has owned the hardware store since April 30, 2001.

Mickey was working for Honeywell while Kay was taking care of their three children at home when the couple decided to purchase the business.

Kay said and when a mutual friend who knew the previous owner suggested they buy the business, they decided to go for it, thinking it would be a great opportunity.

Mickey said he feels operating the store is his way of giving back to the community.

“I’ve had a wide variety of experiences in my life from working construction to agriculture, farming and ranching and a lot of home repair stuff,” he said. “So I can use my knowledge and experiences to help people when they come in.”

Mickey said he gets a lot of satisfaction out of helping people solve some of their problems.

“Being able to show them another way of doing something that’s maybe a lot easier,” he said.

The store has 18 employees, and Kay said it is known for its wide selection of nuts and bolts as well as the services it provides.

“Our roots are a traditional hardware store,” she said. “We still cut and thread pipe.”

Store employees also cut glass and make screens for doors and windows.

“I don’t think there’s too many people around who do that anymore,” Kay said.

With its current expansion and relocation, the store will become an Ace Hardware-affiliated store.

The Powers will purchase products from Ace that will be sold in the store.

Kay said she plans to keep a traditional feeling for the store, even though it will be in a brand new building.

Some sections are planned to be more extensive—perhaps nuts and bolts, gardening and plumbing, she said.

“We are thinking about adding in the spring time and in the fall some of the live gardening plants,” she said.

Along with carrying more products, the Powers said the new location will allow them to be more efficient, serving customers faster.

“It will be nice because everything will be right next to each other,” Kay said.

The new store will have an adjacent lumberyard. At the existing location, customers must cross the street to pick up their lumber.

“Just the efficiencies that we’re going to gain is going to make it so much better,” Mickey said.