This is a printer-friendly version of an article from Zip06.com.
12/20/2023 07:00 AMWhether in person or in the form of a familiar, pony-tailed caricature, Earl Norwood of Country Paint and Hardware may be one of North Branford’s best-known and most appreciated business owners. As a lot of customers have shared through the years, if you don’t know or can’t find it, just “ask Earl.”
The second-generation small business owner got his start as a youngster working with his dad, the late Earl Norwood Sr., who started the family business in 1977.
“I pretty much grew up in North Branford more than East Haven because we were always here,” says Earl.
Over the years, the business gradually grew and expanded its buildings from one small space to the 11,000-square-foot blend it occupies today at 2410 Foxon Road/Route 80.
From his youthful start putting away orders, which grew into fixing windows and screens, waiting on customers, and helping to manage employees, Earl says he always wanted to be there to help foster and grow this business.
“I did think I was always going to help the family - it was part of the rule. While I had other jobs, I just kept getting drawn back into the business because my father needed help, and it was something I really enjoyed doing. The rest, I guess, is history,” Earl says.
After his dad passed away about 28 years ago, Earl’s responsibilities grew to incorporate managing all aspects of running the day-to-day operations as proprietor.
“I kind of jumped into it at that point. There was a little bit of a learning curve, but we pulled it off,” he says.
He also helped the store to expand and grow. Meanwhile, the landscape of local hardware and paint shops was filling up with some heavy competition - big box stores located at high-traffic locations along interstate highway corridors and state routes.
However, “I never really thought about moving out of North Branford,” says Earl. “Would I love to be on Route 1? Yeah. We’re on Route 80, where there’s not as much traffic, but I always wanted to stay in North Branford, where I knew all the people.”
He says he’s watched generations of families, such as fathers coming in with their children, those children growing up and coming back to take care of their parents, and then moving back to town and stopping in with their own children.
“It’s kind of fun to see the generations come through,” says Earl.
For these folks and many others, Earl has succeeded in making his small business a destination location for their many hardware and paint needs.
“I’m really lucky in that way that everybody enjoys coming to the store,” says Earl.
The support customers feel for Country Paint and Hardware vaulted the business to the top to win “Best Hardware Store” in the highly competitive Shore Publishing/Zip06 Best on the Shoreline 2023 Community Choice Awards. The contest counted thousands of votes submitted by readers for businesses across the shoreline.
In addition to receiving knowledgeable service from Earl and the store’s friendly staff, customers appreciate that this is a small business that supports many local causes, groups, and organizations in North Branford.
“We do like to give back to the community, and people seem to recognize that,” says Earl.
The business is involved with supporting programs, including the Totoket Historical Society, North Branford Land Conservation Trust, The Food Pantry of North Branford, North Branford Senior Center, local first responders’ Toys for Tots drives, Girl Scouts and Boys Scouts, Little League baseball, and many others.
Earl is also a staunch advocate for the importance of supporting the #shopsmall #shoplocal movement. That belief includes his efforts to encourage residents to keep all local small businesses top of mind when looking for goods and services, not just his own.
“We’re a small business, and it’s been a struggle for us, so anytime I can help somebody, it’s part of keeping everybody in the community moving along,” says Earl.
And help he does. As a trusted local businessman, Earl often fields calls from his customers asking which other local businesses they can count on for needs that fall outside of those he provides.
“It’s gotten to the point where I get quite a few phone calls for referrals, looking for roofers, looking for plumbers, looking for electricians...I guess they’re confident that if I feel they’re a good person, then they feel good calling them,” says Earl.
Earl has even posted lists of his referrals next to the store phone so employees can assist callers. Sometimes, though, even Earl doesn’t have all the answers.
“I had a gentleman who said his son needed a date for the prom! I said that was a little out of my league,” says Earl, laughing.
Earl’s staff includes several long-term members and a mix of young employees who spend their high school years (and sometimes return through their college years) as part of the Country Paint and Hardware team. Earl plans to keep leading the team well into the future.
“I definitely have at least another 25 years in me. It’s not really a job; it’s kind of who I am and what I do,“ says Earl. ”It’s just a lot of fun. This is what I like doing.“
While Earl’s not planning on going anywhere soon, he does have a funny story about a prank the staff pulled off during the rare vacation he did manage to set up.
“I don’t normally go on vacation, and a few years back, I went away for a week. On a whim, they had somebody draw up a caricature of me. They made a life-sized cardboard cut-out of it and put it in my office,” he says.
After Earl got back and everyone had a good laugh, the caricature hung around. It was soon spotted by a newspaper advertising sales team.
“They were coming through for a meeting that week, and I had left the door of my office open, and they spotted it. And that was kind of the end of that,” says Earl.
Caricature Earl has since become Country Paint and Hardware’s well-known logo, appearing in advertisements and other materials in print and online.
Right now, a photo of the original Earl is featured atop the Country Paint and Hardware Facebook page, together with a request for all to support local, small businesses.
The banner message beside Earl states, “The best of intentions do not save small businesses. Intentions alone cannot rescue small businesses. What truly matters is taking concrete action to support and sustain them. Let's come together to make a real difference and help these vital pillars of our communities thrive.”