It will soon be the end of an era for Galesburg’s original retail home center and longest operating lumber yard.
Peoples Do It Center will close its retail hardware and lumber store at 468 E. Berrien St., after the end of business Oct. 31. Peoples will continue and expand its rental division and also move its Stihl Outdoor Power Equipment Sales & Service across the street to 465 E. Berrien St.
Steve Hawkinson, president of People’s Do It Center and its accompanying divisions, said the decision to close the hardware and lumber store was a matter of age over business.
Hawkinson tells WGIL, “I’m 70 and not 50 — that is the only factor that went into the closing of the business.”
The Peoples Do It Center in Monmouth will remain open. Hawkinson said most of the inventory from the Galesburg store will be moved to Monmouth.
Steve’s father Lloyd Hawkinson acquired Peoples — then a fuel and coke company — in 1945, and turned it into a lumber yard 10 years later. Peoples evolved into Galesburg’s original retail home center in 1965, and became a Do It Center in 1983.
‘Peoples has been my life’
Peoples has been in business in some form continuously since 1902.
Hawkinson has worked for the company for 55 years, becoming president in 1980.
“Peoples has been my life,” Hawkinson said. “So this is a little bittersweet. I never looked forward to retiring and still don’t.
Hawkinson said 95 percent of the 23,000 items in stock at the Galesburg Do It Center will move to the Monmouth store. Eventually, the many of the structures on the Galesburg property will be sold.
People has had as many as 20 employees in Galesburg, but that number has fell to 10-12.
“It’s been hard to get, and keep, employees this year,” Hawkinson said. “It’s been a challenge, and for us, the labor market has been much better in Monmouth.
“But that had nothing to do with my decision to close the store. That, I’ve been working on for at least two years.”
Peoples sees surge in rental business
Hawkinson said the growth of the Galesburg Peoples business has been in its rental business.
The parties and events portion of People’s rental business sees its biggest volume in rental of tents, tables and chairs. Peoples also rents a wide variety of equipment, ranging from back hoes to fork lifts to jackhammers and more.
Once the hardware and lumber stores close, Peoples will remodel the rental facility and will expand its offering of Stihl power equipment and service.
“We have a loyal, loyal group of customers,” Hawkinson said. “We have customers who buy everything from us, and then we have customers we only see when everybody in town is out of it.
“But the customers who have keep the lights on here for 120 years were here often, and we certainly are going to miss them.”
