100+ Year Old Company Stays Relevant and Efficient with Powerful, Modern POS System
In the 1920s, the convertible automobile was invented, U.S. women gained the right to vote, and the first cheeseburger was served. Around this time, Mt. Pleasant Hardware was founded in the capital of Rhode Island. For over a century, the family-owned business has survived fire, hurricanes, and blizzards, with a focus on serving and investing in a vibrant community of immigrants as well as local colleges, hospitals, and small businesses.
Marc Gillson and his wife Antoinette Gomes are -the proud third-generation owners of Mt. Pleasant Hardware; Gilson outlined the company’s evolution. “Over the decades, we have adjusted to meet changing business climates. We started out as a contractor supply business, navigated the dynamics of a family-owned business, transitioned into and away from a paint company, and now we have a significant window and glass repair operation.”
Mt. Pleasant Hardware has trusted Epicor Eagle software suite’s advanced point of sale and retail management capabilities to support its varied transitions and growth since 1999.
Gillson described, “When we had two locations, Epicor Eagle gave us the ability to easily transfer inventory back and forth. And when we added a substantial window and glass repair component to the business, Epicor facilitated that as well.”
Epicor has been a significant part of our ability to seamlessly adjust, develop and progress our operations as we've evolved.
Another example was Mt. Pleasant Hardware’s transition from True Value to Do it Best, the world's largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative. Gillson explained, “Epicor was instrumental in supporting a smooth conversion, working with us to efficiently transfer the files from the True Value system to Do It Best and explaining how to prep and check those files.”
He summarized, “Epicor has been a significant part of our ability to seamlessly adjust, develop and progress our operations as we've evolved.” Gomes agrees. "Expanding our Epicor solution has increased our working remote capability so that we can both securely work from home. This has allowed us precious time with our grandchildren and given us increased flexibility."
Another change had been looming over Gillson; he had been working on borrowed time with an obsolete CPU, and recently he decided to move to the Epicor Eagle for Retail deployed in the cloud. "I wanted to take advantage of modern technology and to no longer worry about something breaking down and not being able to get parts," Gillson shared. In addition to projected benefits that include staying current on upgrades, no longer needing to maintain hardware, and enhanced security, he added, “We started out with Epicor so many years ago because I firmly believe in choosing the best of the best. It’s short-sighted to give up features and capabilities to save a few dollars.”
“There are a lot of software companies out there who do pieces of what Epicor offers, but no one else has everything Epicor does. Moving to the cloud keeps us at the top of the technology curve and is an important investment to enhance my business.”
Inventory tracking and management have been one of the key advantages of Epicor Eagle for Mt. Pleasant Hardware. Gillson noted, "We can easily see everything about a part – who we sold it to and when. It has helped ensure we are always ordering the right part for the right customer."
This feature is especially conducive to repeat business. For instance, Mt. Pleasant Hardware receives a high number of repeat orders, such as an apartment complex that regularly needs a specific part to fix a window. The customer can’t remember the part number, but Epicor Eagle helps Mt. Pleasant Hardware staff quickly identify and order it.
We started out with Epicor so many years ago because I firmly believe in choosing the best of the best. It’s short-sighted to give up features and capabilities to save a few dollars.
“Epicor is essential to our business on a daily basis,” Gillson said. “Instead of walking around with a pad of paper and writing information down, Epicor Eagle manages the operation end-to-end from quote to work order and special orders to orders completed and invoiced. In addition, Epicor Eagle will serve up a suggested order to help streamline the process. It makes the entire job workflow seamless and efficient.”
Gillson appreciates that Epicor Eagle has everything his business needs in one solution. He elaborated, “Other software providers don’t integrate features such as the general ledger. With Epicor, all the back-office functionality is seamlessly integrated into the retail side.”
One of the biggest benefits for Mt. Pleasant Hardware is the ability to maintain lower overhead. “Because of the Epicor capabilities, we’ve not needed to have a full-time bookkeeper. That’s been very helpful in saving us money,” Gillson acknowledged.
"In addition, I can easily do my office operations work remotely, which has added to our cost savings, as well," elaborated Gomes. Both Gilson and Gomes also value Epicor support: “It’s been instrumental to just pick up the phone and talk to somebody who has knowledge of our business and some familiarity with our accounts. That's been very, very important and helpful over the years.”
As a key pillar in the city of Providence, Gillson, Gomes, and Mt. Pleasant Hardware have a legacy of investing in the local community, such as the Smith Hill Community Development Corporation, the Joslin Community Center, and the Birch Vocational School.
Gillson attributes Epicor Eagle to enabling the company to support those initiatives. "Epicor is integral to giving our staff the opportunity to do more," he concluded. "Because Epicor Eagle handles key tasks efficiently, we aren't bogged down by little things on a day-to-day basis, and we have more time to devote to other priorities, including community work."
