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We would love to hear from you. We value your visit to our site and want your experience to be very helpful. Our team of experts are waiting to hear from you. Please feel free to contact us by calling the numbers listed, or you may email us using the form below. Again, thank you for your time and we look forward to serving you.
THE HISTORY OF W.D. BRYANT
W.D. Bryant & Son is a full-line hardware and building material dealer. W.D. Bryant values our customers by investing in our expert employees, who help you with your projects because they care about you. From our origins in 1928 as a general store in the Paint Creek community, through years of growth and expansion, all the way to our present-day hardware operations, we have a long family history of serving Southeastern Kentucky. Aside from our Williamsburg location, which opened in 1935, we also have a store in Corbin since 2000, and London since 2024. W.D. Bryant & Son remains a family company, with W.D.'s descendants still owning and operating our stores and helping the community both inside and outside the company.
W.D. Bryant & Son sprang into life in 1928. It started as a general store located on 92 West in the Paint Creek community of Whitley County, Kentucky. William Dodge "W.D." Bryant, his wife Daisy, and his extended family operated the store together. They worked diligently to serve the community's needs, stocking items such as cloth, eggs, live goods and general hardware. In no time at all the store was prospering, and by 1935 W.D. felt the store would be more successful at its current location on 5th Street in Williamsburg. With twenty-three children, and in time a whole host of grandchildren, W.D. never lacked for help around the store.
Original Williamsburg Building
As the city of Williamsburg grew, so did W.D. Bryant's company. In the 1950s, W.D.'s son Clarence, returning from the Korean War, took ownership of the company alongside W.D.'s wife Daisy. With their determination, they evolved the general store into a full-line hardware and building supply operation. Just in time for the post-war housing boom, W.D. Bryant's venture into electrical, plumbing, building materials, and hardware paved the path to success for the family-run business. The store employed more than one hundred people and additionally built numerous houses in and around the Williamsburg area.
W.D. Bryant with Children & Grandchildren
In 1960, Clarence and Daisy retired, leaving the store to the next generation of owners. Bill and Edgar Bryant (W.D.'s sons), Marvin Bryant (W.D.'s grandson), and Bob Bukovitz (W.D.'s son-in-law) proved to be instrumental in the progression of the business into what it is today. Under their leadership, the store expanded into cabinets, flooring, and paint. They made the store their second home for thirty years, providing superb customer service and building a strong customer base that would carry the store for the next several decades.
Williamsburg Store circa 1968
Ribbon Cutting for the Corbin Store
Moving towards the present day, the current ownership team remains William and Lee Bryant. In 2022, W.D. Bryant chose to begin its partnership with Ace Hardware, gaining access to Ace's expansive inventory of hardware and supplies while remaining family owned and operated. In 2024, as the company continued to grow, a third location was opened in London, Kentucky to better serve that community. Whatever the future holds, we aim to continue serving Southeastern Kentucky the best we can. Being the best and most helpful hardware store is our customer promise!
In 1991, the fourth generation of ownership entered into the business. William Bryant (Bill's son), Darren Bryant (Edgar's son), and Lee Bryant (Marvin's son) took over from their fathers and continued the same traditions and expectations their forebears instilled in the company. Elvin Bryant, their the uncle, also joined the team, establishing a dynamic four-part team. W.D. Bryant incorporated new technology and continued to grow. In 2000, the company added a second location in Corbin, Kentucky, expanding to meet increased business needs in the community.
Ribbon Cutting for the London Store
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