Hipp Hipp hooray for Indie Mountain View, Ark.-based Hipp Modern Builders Supply made it all the way to the finals of the latest Indie Awards contest, which is organized by Independent We Stand. In the end, however, the award — and prizes valued at about $10,000, including $5,000 in cash — went to a Massachusetts scrapbook store. Out of some 200 nominations, 10 semi-finalists were selected on the basis of online votes. Ultimately, a panel of contest judges chose the winner from the group of 10. Gentry Hipp, manager of Hipp Modern Builders Supply, said the experience in itself was rewarding. “The interaction we had with the customers was very positive,” he said. “We saw an outpouring of support and received good words in the store and online, and you don’t hear enough of those sometimes.” Hipp Modern Builders Supply, a Do it Best dealer, was the lone hardware store among the contest finalists. The top 10 also included Artsy Fartsy, Gentry Hipp, manager of Hipp Modern Builders Supply, stands next to a giant American flag out front of the store in Mountain View, Ark. an art gallery in Carson City, Nev.; and the Fuzzy Goat, a yarn shop in Thomasville, Ga. Mountain View has a population of about 2,700. To thrive in such a small town requires local customer loyalty, Hipp said. “We’re grateful for the great customer base that we have,” he said. “Business is good. It could always be better, but we’re on track.” The award is set up by Independent We Stand, which describes itself as “a movement of independent business owners across the country to inform their communities about the importance of ‘Buying Local’ and how these efforts bolster their local economy. This movement supports all local and national causes committed to boosting local economic development projects. The Independent We Stand movement is co-sponsored by Stihl and FCA US LLC.” News Map: Openings, closings and acquisitions Change is the only constant in hardware, lumberyard and farm-and-ranch retailing. For more major moves, visit HBSDealer.com. washington Spokane Parr Lumber Acquired Country Homes Building Supply iowa Waterloo True Value Hardware Open for business california Oceanside Oceanside Ace Hardware Open for business HBSDealer.com connecticut Norwich A.P. Salvage Supply Co. Closing January maryland Falston Big R Stores Open for business ohio Lima Big R Stores Open for business HARDWARE + BUILDING SUPPLY DEALER JANUARY 2017 13