Skip to Main Content
Back to Navigation

About James Do it Best Hardware

About James Do it Best Hardware

James Hardware has been serving our Olive Hill, KY, community and surrounding area since the fall of 1979. It is currently owned by Justin and Brandi Lawson. The store was formerly owned by Tony and Ella Mae James. Justin and Brandi took ownership in October 2022.

The small business was started by Tony and his father, Gary, who purchased leftover merchandise Tony’s grandfather obtained from a Western Auto that had gone out of business. For a short time, they rented that building, a couple of years later they purchased the building across the street which is the current location. They eventually added an upstairs office space along with a 7,500 sq. ft. warehouse.

In 1994, the building next to the store was purchased to expand the selling floor to greatly improve the store’s paint department and add a small engine repair shop. Along the way, convenience lumber and propane fills were added. In July of 1999, they became part of the Do it Best Corp family.

In May 2010 our town suffered a devastating flood, leaving the store under 4 feet of water. Although The James’ had just started an exterior remodel, that quickly developed into a complete interior and exterior renovation. Through much hard work, many answered prayers and the Do it Best Retail Plus Program, they were able to completely restock lost inventory and store fixtures.

We are blessed to have our business in the small town of Olive Hill, KY and it is important for our customers to want to come back. Therefore, we strive to provide the best quality merchandise and the best customer service to everyone who walks through our door. We have several full-time employees with 13-40 years of experience who want your visit to our store to be a pleasant one.

We have a well-stocked inventory of hardware, plumbing, electrical, paint, lawn and garden, power tools and accessories. In 2017, a new Color Bar was installed, which highlights our one-stop paint department. We are the local authorized Stihl dealer for sales and service with a complete line of Stihl power equipment, parts and accessories. Our Case knife selection is one of the best in the region.

We stock Reliance water heaters, septic tanks, pipe, fittings and everything you need to complete that plumbing job. We have a good selection of convenience lumber and we can also fill your propane tanks. Glass cutting, screen repair and key cutting (including electronic keys) are among the services we offer at James Do it Best Hardware.

About James Do it Best Hardware