Our company core values mirror our family core values, which can be traced back over 100 years to 1912 when our late Great great-grandfather, Edward W. Kabelin, bought an interest in the Webber Hardware Company. Ten years later, Edward, along with his son Russell, bought the entirety of Webber Hardware. They changed the name to Kabelin Hardware Company, Inc. in 1924.

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In 1962, Russell became ill. This influenced our grandfather, the third generation, Jerrald T. Kabelin, to join the business. Jerrald had no intention of joining the hardware business after he served in the Army. He was the first person in our family to receive a college degree from Indiana University through the ROTC program. He planned to later return to school to become an attorney. His love for his family and the lakes in La Porte drew him back to take care of his father. By the time Russell, recovered, they had already expanded the business to Walkerton. They were on track to open the largest hardware store in the Midwest, Michigan City.

 

The community, work-family, and hardware business had Jerry hooked. One could speculate that if it wasn’t for Russell getting sick, the family business could have ended after two generations. Our fourth generation with Diana Kabelin Corley (President from 2003–2014), Betsy Kabelin Parkison, Kris Kabelin Moore, and Matthew F. Moore (President from 2014 - 2023).

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Our company has entered its fifth generation of family leadership with Mackenzie Kabelin Watkins as our current President. Mackenzie, daughter of Betsy Kabelin Parkison, who represents a new era of Kabelin Hardware, bringing fresh ideas while continuing to honor the legacy and values instilled by previous generations. Under her leadership, we remain committed to innovation, community engagement, and the enduring core values that have been the cornerstone of our success.

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We love giving back to our communities through owning and operating our family business. Our core values are similar to the values our Great-great Grandpa (Edward), Great-Grandpa Buz (Russell), and Grandfather (Jerrald) instilled in us at a young age and used to run the business during their tenure. That’s how Kabelin Hardware has survived over 100 years and through many retail evolutions. We believe that following these core values will keep the Kabelin Hardware Company alive for many years to come

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The Kabelin Family