“When I first walked in, I liked everything about the new area. I liked the chairs for the Ice cream, I liked the new products they have available. I was glad to see Mills Hardware in its new spacious location,” said Vanessa, describing her experience at the new Mills Hardware location.
Mills Hardware has been serving the Tri-Community since 2014, but has a history that goes back to 1970. At first, Mills Hardware wasn’t Mills Hardware. Mills Hardware first started as the ATV Hardware store in Wrightwood back in 1970. The ATV Hardware store was owned and operated by James and DeLoy Anderson. In 1980, the Anderson’s son, Ken, joined the family business. Later in 1986, the family opened a second location in Phelan and closed the store in Wrightwood to focus on their new business in Phelan. The building was originally only 2,400 square feet, but it was later expanded to 8,000 square feet in 1994. Then, a longtime employee, Jeanna Mills, who began working for the Andersons right after high school in 1985, purchased the Andersons company with her husband, Dane Mills, in 2014 and renamed it Mills Hardware. Since the purchase of the business in 2014, Mills Hardware, now well known, has remained in the same location, the Phelan Towne Square. Then, most recently in September of 2025, Mills Hardware moved to the old Rite Aid location on the corner of Phelan Rd and Sheep Creek.
Jeanna Mills is not only a successful business owner in the Tri-Community. She has also been an active member and leader in the Phelan Chamber of Commerce since 2021. In 2021, Mrs. Mills served as past President and Treasurer in the Phelan Chamber of Commerce. In 2023, Mrs. Mills was the Administrator and organizer for the Phelan Chamber of Commerce before being elected in 2024 for her 2024-2026 term to the Phelan Piñon Hills Community Services District (PPHCSD) Board of Directors and Assistant Treasurer for the Phelan Chamber of Commerce. Today, she remains an active Director of the PPHCSD Board of Directors and is the current Assistant Treasurer of the Phelan Chamber of Commerce.
Why did the Mills decide to move to a new location? Well, Jeanna Mills explains their reason for the move: “The reason for the move is that the building became available at just the right time. In the previous building, we had no room for expansion, and we wanted to expand, so when we saw this building available, we knew it was just right.”
Today, the new Mills Hardware location offers more services than before. “When customers come into Mills Hardware,” says Jeanna, ” they will notice we now have Thrifty’s Ice cream, and we will also soon be having a Soda Shop, and we are also looking forward to offering propane once again.” she continues stating, “we have also added more products to the store such as women’s and baby products, hand-made pies from the famous “The Pie Company”, a last minute gift center, some supplies for birthday parties and baby showers, and even a toy center. Since the big move, what hasn’t changed? Mills Hardware’s goal, which is to “help all of those in the community meet all of their hardware needs.”
Since the business transition, customers have enjoyed the new area. One customer, Veronica Lopez, said, ” I like the new area, I especially like Thrifty’s ice cream, which was something that I was really happy to hear available at our community hardware store. I also look forward to the Soda Shop”.
Another customer, Arthur Hawkswell, a resident of Phelan for 9 years, said,”I’ve got to say the best part of the move, other than the spacious area, is the Ice cream, although I’ve never tried the pies…I also like the variety of items available at the store.”
In the immediate future, the Mills look forward to completing the transition and finishing the organization of the business. Mills Hardware plans to offer propane and looks forward to opening its Soda Shop and hosting a Grand Reopening event on May 9th, so save the date. The Mills also looks forward to adding more supplies and merchandise to the store, and also expanding their Ice cream shop. The Mills say, ” In the future, we look forward to finishing the transition of the business and getting the building and organization of the store back to 100%.”
