Overview:
As McGuckin Hardware celebrates its 70th anniversary in Boulder, long-time employees reflect on the company's legacy.
McGuckin Hardware has been a Boulder fixture since 1955, when local fisherman Bill McGuckin opened a small shop on Arapahoe Avenue. Seventy years later, the family-owned business has expanded into a 60,000-square-foot landmark, staffed by green-vested employees and known for its unmatched selection and neighborly service.
“They thought of this as a community service,” said President Barry Hight, whose parents, Dave and Dee, ran McGuckin for decades. “We serve the community what they need, be it nuts and bolts or be it housewares or whatever we have.”
It wasn’t always the sprawling haven for tools and hardware that it is today. Five years into running the business, McGuckin brought his son-in-law, Dave Hight, into the business and transformed the four-employee shop into the mecca it is today.
Back in those early days, McGuckin instilled in his employees a belief in personalized service and selection, and Hight has carried the torch into the modern day. It’s Hight’s passion and drive that have made McGuckin the shop that Boulderites know and love.
“If we don’t have it, you don’t need it!” Dave Hight was famous for saying this to customers in the store.
General Manager Bernedette Tillis got her start at McGuckin’s 34 years ago as a part-time cashier. Unsure what career path to take after graduation, she accepted a job at the store and never left.
“A lot of people dread going to work. I have never once in 34 years dreaded going to work,” Tillis said. “It’s like I enjoy what I’m doing. I enjoy every day giving opportunities to people like myself.”
Tillis explains that part of her inspiration is the family she’s working for. The Hight’s visible work ethic motivates employees to share the same passion.
“Half the employees, when they start, have no idea that these are the owners,” Tillis said. “ They got the same green vest that you have on; they got their heads down so they lead by example—always.”
It’s not hard to nail down what makes McGuckin Hardware such a gem in the Boulder Community. With aisles named after Boulder streets like Arapahoe and Folsom, the store itself feels like an ode to the community it serves.
Green-vested employees can be found in every aisle talking to customers as if they’ve known each other for years—and maybe they have. The ethos is built on service and expertise. Walking through the store, customers can find everything from chains to plumbing supplies to CU Boulder merchandise, all at prices competitive with big-box retailers.
The store’s impact on Boulder goes beyond the sales floor. Right now, the Museum of Boulder is celebrating McGuckin’s with “The McGuckin Way: 70 Years as Boulder’s Favorite Everything Store.” Originally scheduled to close on Sept. 27, the museum extended the exhibit to Sept. 30 because of its popularity.
McGuckin Hardware Marketing Coordinator Nicolette Widiger said Museum of Boulder Executive Director Chris Taylor first approached the company about the idea last year, and it immediately felt like a natural partnership.
“And then the fun part was getting together all the artifacts that were there,” Widiger said. “That was my favorite part.”
The exhibit has all sorts of McGuckin memorabilia, from pins to biker hats to yardsticks. Each showcase features these scavenger hunt finds in perfect condition, all with different variations of the McGuckin logo. There are even rarer pieces like a wooden train set and a green-vested stuffed bear by the name of “Beary.”
According to Widiger, when Dave Hight, one of the co-founders of McGuckin, was still alive, he used to give all of the merch proofs to one of the employees on the floor named Randy “Doc” Dilkes. Hight advised him to save them for a rainy day, suggesting maybe one day this would be useful to someone. So, Doc kept all of this McGuckin memorabilia in a box in the garden department known to all as “Doc’s Box.”
“Finally, that rainy day came, and he was like, ‘I have so many artifacts for you,’ and that was his boxes and boxes of just like really well-preserved stuff, which was really nice,” Widiger reflects. “We’ve had so many iterations of vests and everything; we only had space for three.”
Today, the store’s commitment to community extends beyond its walls. When floods hit Boulder in 2013, McGuckin quickly secured shop vacs and wet vacs from across Colorado to help residents pump out their homes.
“There’s something about Boulder. There’s a really strong sense of community here, especially when something really horrific happens, people really, really band together, and it’s a beautiful thing,” Widiger said. “And I think McGuckin, being unique as a family-owned store, we’re deep in that too.”
Similarly, when the Marshall Fire hit Louisville in 2021, within a couple of days, McGuckin raised over $120,000 by doing register round-ups, which are when customers are asked if they want to round up their purchases to the nearest dollar, for the community. The store regularly organizes these fundraisers for local organizations, including the Museum of Boulder and the Colorado Pet Pantry.
“So you know, it’s a story about how my family and I didn’t realize this touched all these families in a way,” Hight said. “My dad really put in a great work ethic, too.”
“We’ve come a long way in the last 70 years, we’ve expanded so much, I think Bill McGuckin, original store owner, would be just flabbergasted at not only the growth of the store, but of Boulder,” Widiger said. “I definitely want to thank our customers for sure, like it, we would not be where we are if it wasn’t for our customers.”
