Twin City Hardware Co. says it is the largest commercial door and hardware distributors in the country.

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Minnesota’s Twin City Hardware (TCH) Co. operates with the experience of 125 years in business and has become one of the largest commercial door and hardware distributors in the country. Its core business is new construction projects in the office, warehouse, healthcare, multi-family and school sectors. In addition to strong local business, TCH works nationally with companies requiring consistency across multiple locations.

The company established its national account program in the mid-’80s and its first customer was Best Buy Co. TCH has taken this program to many other sector leading chains.  

It now has a network of 400 locksmiths and installers that cover retail hubs nationwide, providing 24-hour service, owner George Boomer says. TCH’s customers include retail, convenience and grocery chains, as well as real estate management companies and developers.

“Our national account program has allowed us to prove our capabilities to general contractors outside our local market,” Boomer says.

“They think, ‘What do I need someone from the Midwest for?’ But once they see how we operate, we get a lot of return business from those contractors when they go outside their local areas. They usually get bids from us too, which has allowed us to expand our business among different market areas. That recession-proofs us to some degree.”

The company says the program saves money and time and is tailored to the specific needs of individual customers.

“What we’ve tried to explain to customers is that they may find a cheaper price for one or two stores at a time when things are not busy, but other times of year, hardware suppliers are busy and prices will go up,” he explains.

“Our prices will be straight across the board from region to region. If they add up the prices for the whole year, they come out ahead. We’re a team member for them, stocking what they need and providing quick turnaround.

“Our prices are consistent because of our size,” he adds. “We deal mainly with Ingersoll-Rand, which has a stable of companies they’ve acquired in the hardware and door industry.

“We are their largest distributor in several areas and the largest purchaser of their steel doors and frames.”

The company says it can help its national account customers troubleshoot common problems. For instance, it says, owners should know if their hardware is adequately protecting their assets, and should determine whether:
• Locks are functioning properly
• Doors are swinging freely and closing securely
• Doors can be forced open
• Shrink is a problem
• Repeated break-ins are an issue
• Keys can be copied
• A global/integrated key system is in place

For general contractors, TCH says, hardware should be easy to install and customer service should be available when needed. Questions to ask include:
• Are there step-by-step instructions included in the hardware packaging?
• Is the hardware delivered on time?
• Is the hardware package shipped bit by bit, or consolidated and labeled?
• Do materials arrive damaged?

Distinction and Growth

The company received the Builders Hardware Manufacturing Association’s Distributor of the Year award in 2006. “That’s a good statement from the manufacturers of our industry that we’re doing a lot of the right things out there,” Boomer says.

Another good sign is the company’s growth since 2004. Its revenues increased from $24.9 million to $37.5 million from 2004 to 2006, growing more than 20 percent per year.

Twin City operates with four buildings in three locations, located in St. Paul, Minn., and Omaha, Neb. It also plans to open a fourth location in Phoenix this year.

“Our plans are to continue to look for opportunities to expand and grow our business to better serve existing and new customers,” Boomer says.

Longstanding History
The company was founded in 1883 by Herman Mattfeldt of St. Paul, Minn., as Twin City Hardware and Heating Co. “It was an old-time hardware store,” the company states.

“At that time, they had a tin shop in the back where they made furnace and heating pipes.”

In 1930, Walter Winter purchased the company, leaving the tin business behind while establishing a bottle gas route known as Gopher State Bottle Gas, and a saw-sharpening service called Twin City Saw & Service.

By 1954, he had separated the bottle gas and sharpening business to another location and sold the hardware portion of the business to George Boomer Sr.

“In a few years, Mr. Boomer was able to make factory contacts and buy direct from the top names in locks, builder’s hardware, and associated lines,” the company says.

“Within a short time, Twin City Hardware began to supply many commercial jobs. Some of these include the Minnesota State Highway Building, the Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport, and many hospitals and schools throughout the state.”

The company added a steel door and frame division in 1971 and has steadily grown its hollow metal department. “In 1974, we opened our Minneapolis-based office and warehouse in Crystal, Minn.,” the company states.

“This office was originally small in size, but big in sales.

“In 1992, Mr. Boomer began his retirement, relinquishing the business to his three capable sons, who had been employed full-time since the beginning of the ’70,” it adds.

In 1995, the Minneapolis office and warehouse moved from Crystal to its present location in New Hope, Minn.

In 1999, the St. Paul headquarters, wood door shop, and Hollow Metal division all moved to a new 51,000-square-foot facility in Oakdale, Minn.

It recently acquired an adjacent facility to the Oakdale location, nearly doubling its size, TCH says.
The new building houses its hollow metal division, boxing, crating and palletizing department, installation department and their newest venture, the Ingersoll-Rand Security Center.

The security center features the company’s integrated access division, specializing in access controls, CCTV and biometrics.

Twin City’s door and frame selection includes products from Steelcraft and Timely, including a variety of wood, double action, accordion, fiberglass doors and access panels.

Its door hardware products include closers, exit alarms, exit devices, hinges and locks.

The company also offers Division 10 products such as bathroom partitions and hardware, along with floor mats, fire extinguishers and cabinets, and other builder’s hardware.