Joseph A. Hardy III
Joseph Alexander Hardy III | |
|---|---|
| Born | 7 January 1923 |
| Died | 7 January 2023 (aged 100) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, Businessman |
| Known for | Founder and CEO of 84 Lumber Company and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort |
Joseph Alexander Hardy III (born January 7, 1923 – died January 7, 2023) was an American entrepreneur best known as the founder and CEO of both 84 Lumber Company and Nemacolin Woodlands Resort.
84 Lumber
During the 1970s, 84 Lumber grew to encompass 229 outlets. By 1984, the company aimed to launch at least 30 additional stores, transforming its locations from simple lumber yards into comprehensive building materials centers. In 1987, 84 Lumber expanded its payment options by introducing credit plans alongside its existing cash-and-carry system.
Joe Hardy’s son, Joe Jr., advanced to the role of Chief Operating Officer but was ultimately not chosen as successor due to health challenges linked to multiple sclerosis; Joseph Hardy dismissed him citing the need for early rest.
After leading the firm for 34 years, Hardy handed over daily management in 1992 to his daughter Maggie Hardy Magerko (later Knox), who was then serving as Executive Vice President. Under her stewardship, the company celebrated its 400th store opening by 1997.
Magerko redirected the company’s focus toward professional builders by establishing a sales team of 450 representatives. To appeal to the expanding do-it-yourself segment, 84 Lumber introduced the retail brand 84 Plus in 1999, which featured distinct areas for contractors and DIY customers within over 100 stores nationwide.
The early 2000s marked a period of record-breaking sales and growth, including the addition of 18 new stores in 2004. However, the collapse of the housing market in 2008 severely affected profitability and nearly led the company into bankruptcy by 2009 due to market contraction and excessive expenditures.
As the market rebounded, Hardy Magerko restructured company operations and divested real estate holdings, resulting in a sales increase of 27% between 2012 and 2013.
Thanks to strong leadership and strategic mentorship from Joseph Hardy to Maggie Hardy Magerko, 84 Lumber established itself as the premier privately owned supplier of building materials catering to professional contractors and DIY customers across the United States.
Politics
On September 9, 2007, during a tailgate event at Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Hardy announced his withdrawal from the Fayette County commissioner general election of that year, effectively ending his political pursuits. Prior to this decision, he had secured first place in the primary vote for that office.
Personal life and death
Hardy served as a communications officer with the US Army Air Corps during World War II. He graduated with a degree in industrial engineering from the University of Pittsburgh's School of Engineering in 1948. Initially employed at his uncle’s jewelry store in Pittsburgh, he transitioned into the building materials supply industry at age 31. With his first wife, Dorothy Pierce, he fathered five children including Maggie Hardy Magerko, who currently leads 84 Lumber. He also had two daughters with his second wife, Debra Maley. At age 85, Hardy married Kristin Georgi, a Nemacolin Woodlands Resort salon employee aged 22; they wed in Las Vegas in 2007 but filed for divorce within months. His fourth marriage was to Rebecca Davis in December 2009. In 2014, at age 91, he married Jodi Santella Williams; they had one son together.
Hardy served on the boards of trustees for both the University of Pittsburgh and Washington & Jefferson College.
He was devoted to philanthropy and once stated, "I want to die broke... to enjoy and participate in giving money to help improve people's lives."
Hardy passed away on January 7, 2023—his centennial birthday.
External links
- 1923 births
- 2023 deaths
- 20th-century American business figures
- 21st-century American business figures
- American entrepreneurs in retail
- American timber industry executives
- American philanthropists
- People from Fayette County, Pennsylvania
- Military veterans from Pennsylvania
- Swanson School of Engineering graduates
- Trustees of Washington & Jefferson College
- American retail CEOs
- American billionaires
- American male centenarians
- University of Pittsburgh alumni
- Fayette County commissioners (Pennsylvania)