How does a company stay in business for 95 years? For Jack Hostetter, who owns JB Hostetter and Sons with his brother, Kent, the answer comes down to two words: customer service.

"It's all about relationships," said Jack, who is the president of the business, located at 1225 W. Main St., Mount Joy. "It's about getting to know your customers, and, if you want to provide customer service to the level we want, it's all about hiring good people."

The business opened in 1927 when Joseph B. Hostetter - Jack and Kent's grandfather - retired from farming in Rapho Township and purchased Gabe Moyer's Hardware Store on West Donegal Street in Mount Joy. Two years later, he purchased Brown Brothers Hardware at 35 W. Main St. In 1963, the company incorporated as JB Hostetter and Sons, and in 1970, the business joined the True Value Hardware Wholesale Cooperative, which currently has more than 5,000 member stores. In 1972, the company opened a second location at 93 E. Main St., acquiring the former H.S. Newcomer and Sons hardware store. Jack and Kent helped to run this location, along with their father, Arthur, and their mother, Clara. Arthur, however, envisioned something even bigger.

"It was always my dad's vision to move the store to a larger location," Jack recalled, noting that when Arthur found out that the 5-acre property at 1225 W. Main St. was for sale, he proposed the idea of combining the two stores in Mount Joy into one. The current location opened on July 5, 1984.

Over the years, the store has expanded several times, including increasing the parking lot size and adding a rental department, greenhouse and large warehouse space to reach its current size of 64,000 square feet.

Jack and Kent, who is the company vice president, employ about 65 people. Along with an emphasis on customer service, Jack attributes the store's longevity to what shoppers can find on the shelves. "One of the things that makes us unique is we have such a large variety - greenhouse, rentals, paint, mower repair, housewares, major appliance repair," he commented. "We cut keys and do some locksmith work. We do a tremendous amount of screen and window repair. We do a significant business in used appliance and used lawn equipment sales. ... I'm even amazed sometimes at some of the things we have in here."

JB Hostetter & Sons has also developed a reputation for giving back to the community, whether by allowing groups to hold car washes or chicken barbecues in the parking lot or by hosting regular blood drives at the store.

"We're part of the community, and we want to help other organizations," Jack said. "If they have the initiative and work ethic to go out and make money, why not help them with that opportunity?"

As he looks toward celebrating a century in business, Jack emphasized that he's grateful for loyal customers over the years as well as loyal employees. He also welcomes newcomers who stop in to shop, noting, "Two things I hear from people when they come into the store for the first time are, 'Growing up, we used to have a store like this, but it's not there anymore' and 'You guys have everything here.'"