You can’t buy a frozen Snickers bar in Phelan, at least not yet. But if Mills Hardware owner Jeanna Mills has her way, that’s about to change. When the hardware store moves into the former Rite Aid building later this fall, she plans to stock the freezer with her favorite candy bar, frozen solid. It’s a small thing, but one that says a lot about how Mills Hardware does business: practical, personal and uniquely in tune with the Tri-Community.
For nearly 40 years, the hardware store has been more than a place to pick up nails, bolts or lumber. It’s where staff know your name, where advice comes with your purchase and where, if an employee doesn’t have the answer, there’s often a contractor in the aisle ready to help. It’s that mix of knowledge, neighborliness and resourcefulness that Jeanna says she hopes to bring to the new location, just down the street at Phelan and Sheep Creek roads.
The story of Mills Hardware stretches back to 1970, when James and his son DeLoy Anderson opened ATV Hardware in Wrightwood to serve the mountain community. Before long, DeLoy and his wife, Trenna, were running the business, with their son Ken joining in 1980. Six years later, the family opened a second store in Phelan, eventually closing the Wrightwood location to focus on the growing High Desert. Back then, the store was about 2,400 square feet. It expanded in 1994 to more than 8,000 square feet, making it one of the largest locally owned retailers in the Tri-Community. Ken purchased the company from his parents in 1996, carrying the business into the millennium until 2014, when Jeanna and her husband, Dane, bought it and renamed it Mills Hardware. A remodel soon followed, updating the space while keeping its reputation as a reliable cornerstone for Tri-Community residents.
For Jeanna, hardware has always felt like home. She started working in the Wrightwood store in 1985, straight out of high school, learning everything from stocking shelves to bookkeeping. “All of my business education was on the job,” she said. “I started in Wrightwood, worked both stores, learned bookkeeping and grew with the business. I’ve always loved hardware.” Like the Andersons before them, the Mills have kept the store a family business. Their children now work in the store, learning the trade and preparing one day to take the reins from their parents.
The move has been in the works for more than 10 years. The Mills family explored building new or expanding elsewhere but ran into obstacles with water moratoriums and county requirements. When Rite Aid’s bankruptcy put its Phelan location up for lease, the Mills family bid on the lease. “It was a unique process, but we came out on top,” Jeanna said. “The building is beautiful inside and out, and its visibility on Phelan Road is exactly what we’ve needed.” Even after decades in town, some locals still walk in and say they didn’t know a hardware store was there. Jeanna believes the high-profile corner location will finally change that.
The new store won’t have a traditional yard like the current Phelan Towne Square location, but customers won’t lose the essentials. Basic lumber, plywood and concrete will still be available, with larger orders picked up at the back of the building. Propane sales will continue, and services such as screen and glass cutting, along with STIHL power equipment sales and repairs, will move into the old pharmacy area inside the building. Nearly every department is expanding. A full Valspar paint center will anchor the paint department. Milwaukee and DeWalt battery-powered tools are being added to the tool aisle, complete with Packout storage systems. Plumbing and electrical will be refreshed, and the Hillman fastener section, already the largest in the High Desert, will grow even more. “We’ve done the market research,” Jeanna said. “Every department has been analyzed and adjusted based on what customers actually buy. We know where the demand is, and we’ll have more room to meet it.”
While the building may be changing, the people behind the counter remain central to Mills Hardware. Many of the employees live locally, raising families in the same neighborhoods as the customers they serve. Many experienced staff members excel at locating hard-to-find parts and assisting with challenging repairs. For Jeanna, those moments are the most fulfilling. “The best days are when you can help a customer fix something they thought couldn’t be repaired,” she said. Dane jokes that when it comes to plumbing or electrical projects, customers will usually make three trips, but the staff can usually bring that number down. When employees are unable to solve a customer’s problem, another customer, often a contractor, usually steps in to help. The Mills children are also involved in the store, carrying on the family tradition while learning from their parents and experienced staff. “This business has always been a family operation, from the Andersons to us,” Jeanna said. “Now it’s our kids’ turn to grow with it.”
The new building will also have space for something that feels both fresh and nostalgic, a general store section. Plans include seasonal displays for holidays, back-to-school supplies, toys, crafts and small household goods. Jeanna envisions adding home décor, gift items and even locally produced goods such as jams and jellies. One familiar feature from Rite Aid will remain: the Thrifty Ice Cream counter. Mills Hardware is working with the Thrifty brand to keep the scoops coming, along with half-gallons and pints to go. And then there’s Jeanna’s personal touch. “I think a frozen Snickers is the best on a hot day,” she laughed. She’s planning a freezer stocked with candy bars next to the ice cream, another example of the uniqueness of a community-owned store. There are also plans to add a soda fountain offering shakes, floats and flavored “dirty sodas”. A couple of small tables with checkerboards and chess sets will complete the vibe. “It’s the feel of an old-time general store,” she said. “But with modern convenience.”
In addition to planning the move, Mills Hardware has been updating its operations with a new website that now lists in-stock inventory with current pricing, allowing customers to place orders for pickup or delivery. Earlier this year, the store phased out its rental equipment service, which freed up trucks and staff, allowing the hardware store to reduce delivery costs and increase availability. Special orders are also easier, with shipments arriving twice a week, meaning even hard-to-find items can be in customers’ hands within a few days. The store hours will be changing as well. You’ll still be able to get all of your hardware needs Monday through Saturday from 7:30am to 7:30pm. When the doors open at the new building you will be able to shop on Sundays from 8:30 to 5:00pm.
Jeanna and Dane received the keys to the new building Sept. 1 and immediately began preparing for the move. To avoid confusion, they hope to open the doors around Nov. 1, with the current store closing and the new one opening. “It’ll be a clean break,” Jeanna said. “We want the transition to be as simple as possible for customers.” A grand opening celebration is planned, though the date is still in the works. “We’ll definitely do something big, but it may wait until after the holidays,” Jeanna said.
In the end, the move is about carrying a tradition forward. From the Andersons to the Mills, the hardware store has always been a family business rooted in the community it serves. The new building will offer more products, a greater variety of services and increased visibility, but some things will stay the same. “We’re here to help our neighbors,” Jeanna said. “Whether it’s with hardware, advice or even a frozen Snickers bar, that’s exactly what we intend to do.”
