Doucet Heritage Hardware
Your Hardware Convenience Store
Formerly Ace Hardware on Johnston St.

Joe and Laura LeBlanc bought the store from Wallace Doucet in September 2004. Wallace Doucet built the reputation of the store by providing service to the customer. To this day when you walk into the store, you are greeted and asked if you need any help - you won't find that in the big boxes.

It's like walking into a hardware convenience store. The store might look small, but most of the time they have what you're looking for. Many customers say “I've been looking all over town, I should have looked here first” or “I knew I'd find it here”. People in the big boxes still tell them to try “ACE on Johnston Street”. Doucet's was and ACE hardware dealer until about ten or twelve years ago. Doucet left ACE and became an independent dealer.

The outdoor cooking section of the store was always popular. We decided to expand it and lay it out like an outdoor camping area, including Astroturf. This allows the customer to see how the items will look in the environment.

We also make an effort to find unique, hard to find items. I was at market and ran across the Rotisserie Fire Pit. My first thought was that I had to have one at the camp and in my back yard. In December 2005 we sold one for every day that we were open.

This has become our most popular section of the store. We feature cast iron pots, McWare (looks and cooks like Magnalite), burners of all kinds, roux spoons and ladles. Doucet's will even help you figure out what's wrong with your old burner. It's common for the burner to fill up with dirt dobbers, spyder nests, or other debris.

History
This has always been a family business. My wife and kids are learning the business and that thrills me. I was in the oilfield for 26 years and always wondered what I could do to help my children get acclimated to the business world. This is great experience for them. It also gives them a place to work while working their way through college.

Good people are the key to any business. Doucet has one full time employee Frank Foley. Frank brings years of product knowledge to the store. Frank specializes in plumbing and has helped many of our customers out of a jam. Frank has also engineered the entire makeover of the inside of the store. People who have not been here in a while are surprised to see the new look. It is very open and inviting.

Our busy time is from 10 to 2, and I was lucky enough to get my neighbor Debbie Blum to come to work on a part time basis. Debbie is great with people. My wife's cousin Carmen Dugas is helping part time with the books, which allows me valuable time with the customers. John Cain, a local student, fills in and helps us get some needed time off. John's folks own Cain True Value in Carthage, Texas.

Our latest endeavor is architectural salvage. With so many houses going up in River Ranch there is a need for a local place to find unique architectural pieces. We are currently collecting salvage pieces from Mexico and New Orleans. We encourage customers to ask for what they need, we can find it.