• Hardware Hotline March 2010  View the Adobe Acrobat File
• Our Community Partner Program Turns 16!
  This year marks the 16th anniversary of our School and Community Assistance Partnership Program, established to aid local schools and community-based nonprofit organizations that work hard to make San Francisco the unique city that it is in their fund-raising efforts. We’re thrilled that we now have over 400 organizations and schools that participate in our program. Cole Hardware is sympathetic to the lack of government funding available to schools and worthwhile social causes these days...
  Community Partner Program Turns 16!
• Our Frequent Shoppers Receive a $349,000 Dividend for 2009!
  $215,000 for 2006 … $256,000 for 2007 … $295,000 for 2008. Each year our Frequent Shoppers dividend grows. Come in and redeem your piece of the pie!  Read More
• Propane Canister Recycling
  San Francisco is fortunate to have such a vibrant Department of Environment, often paving the way for other cities across the nation with their groundbreaking recycling programs, guiding the City to a zero waste diversion goal. We’ve been happy to participate in the recycling of batteries, fluorescent bulbs and paint set up by our friends at the City, and we’re thrilled to announce that we will be adding empty propane cylinder recycling to our growing list of recycled products  Propane Canister Recycling.
• New Miele Vacuum Accessories
  Miele vacuum cleaners are the Mercedes Benz of vacuums, known for their superb quality and craftsmanship. All of our stores offer an assortment of Miele vacuums and the company recently introduced these specialty accessories to provide even more cleaning action.  Miele Accessories
• Ask Alice: Our business is having a hard time recycling and composting properly and increasing our waste diversion. Do you have any suggestions?
  A: At Cole Hardware, we have been composting for several years and have found it, combined with our recycling programs, to greatly reduce the amount of trash we produce... Answer continues
• Heaters—Choose One That Suits Your Heating Needs
  San Franciscans love all the character their old Victorians afford them: high ceilings, spacious flats with long hallways, hardwood floors, sweeping views from big picture windows. Often though, this old-world charm translates into old-world, unreliable heating systems. An alternative to installing an expensive forced air heating system is to use space heaters and heat only the rooms necessary.  Heaters

• Repair Referral: Sweet 16!
  This year marks the 16th anniversary of our Repair Referral Service. Re-COLE-mend—as our Repair Referral Service is known—connects hundreds of people every month to one or more of the great people in our “stable” of extremely qualified and well-mannered folks, all guaranteeing their work will be to your satisfaction. We like to use the metaphor of a stable, as we now have over 100 trade partners dedicated to solving the needs of your home and business. From hanging a curtain rod to remodeling a kitchen—and everything in between—24/7...  Repair Referral Turns 16
• Our Frequent Shoppers Receive a $349,000 Dividend for 2009!
  $215,000 for 2006 … $256,000 for 2007 … $295,000 for 2008. Each year our Frequent Shoppers dividend grows. Come in and redeem your piece of the pie!  Read More
• Meet Marc: Our Master Locksmith
  Cole Hardware would like to introduce our customers to Marc Estoque, our Master Class Locksmith. Marc, a native San Franciscan, has been working with Cole Hardware for more than 15 years; in fact, he has over 25 years experience installing and maintaining locks in the many Victorians and Edwardians in our city. He takes pride in his work and offers unparalleled customer service in the Cole Hardware tradition…“Your satisfaction guaranteed!”  Meet Marc...
• Propane Canister Recycling
  San Francisco is fortunate to have such a vibrant Department of Environment, often paving the way for other cities across the nation with their groundbreaking recycling programs, guiding the City to a zero waste diversion goal. We’ve been happy to participate in the recycling of batteries, fluorescent bulbs and paint set up by our friends at the City, and we’re thrilled to announce that we will be adding empty propane cylinder recycling to our growing list of recycled products  Propane Canister Recycling.
• New Miele Vacuum Accessories
  Miele vacuum cleaners are the Mercedes Benz of vacuums, known for their superb quality and craftsmanship. All of our stores offer an assortment of Miele vacuums and the company recently introduced these specialty accessories to provide even more cleaning action.  Miele Accessories
• Ask Alice: I am looking for a good sturdy clamp for use with my various saws and router for making straight edge cuts. Do you have any recommendations?
  A: The Bora Clamp Edge™, for circular saws, jig saws, routers, biscuit jointers and more, is a clamping straight edge guide that is ideal for cutting applications where...  Answer continues
• Heaters—Choose One That Suits Your Heating Needs
  San Franciscans love all the character their old Victorians afford them: high ceilings, spacious flats with long hallways, hardwood floors, sweeping views from big picture windows. Often though, this old-world charm translates into old-world, unreliable heating systems. An alternative to installing an expensive forced air heating system is to use space heaters and heat only the rooms necessary.  Heaters

• Welcome to 2010!
  It is hard to believe that it has been ten years into the new century. Remember the anticipation (and the computer problems) surrounding the turn of the century? That seems so long ago. Time certainly marches on. I started this gig when I was 12 years old; I’ll be 59 later this year. I’m the second longest employee at Cole Hardware – Dave, my dad, has been here since 1961 and he’ll be 94 this coming June! Over the many years of Cole Hardware’s existence we have evolved into an institution in San Francisco which has been defined by community involvement and the company it keeps.  Welcome to 2010...
• Lowering our Carbon Footprint with Renewable Energy
  Cole Hardware has committed to balancing our environmental footprint through a purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) for the next year to offset 100% of the electricity used by our stores. Along with our Green Recognized Business certification from the City and our expanding recycling services, we have partnered with 3Degrees (www.3degreesinc.com), a leading national renewable energy and carbon offset company, who provides Green-e Certified® Renewable Energy Certificates from renewable energy facilities across the nation...  Renewable energy
• Enjoy Your Fireplace!
  Winter is here, and along with colder temperatures, home heating costs have soared in recent years. Nothing is cozier than curling up next to a warm, sparkling fire in a fireplace on a chilly Bay Area evening. Besides adding ambience, a fireplace can heat your home allowing you to forego turning on the furnace or plugging in the space heaters. Proper care and maintenance will allow you to enjoy the benefits of using your fireplace, not only safely, but also economically.  Enjoy your fireplace...
• Ask Alice: Our business is leasing some office space and we’d like to personalize our space by hanging some of our awards and photos. Do you have an recommendations for a product to hang pictures that won’t create a lot of holes to patch when we move out?
  A: Ideal for businesses and apartment dwellers both, the new WallClaw Anchor is a one piece, drivable wall anchor...  Answer continues...
• Furnace System Maintenance & Repair
  For indoor air quality, energy efficiency and comfort, a well-tuned household heating/ventilating system is essential! We are proud to be affiliated with one of the most dependable and responsive heating, ventilating and airconditioning (HVAC) businesses in the Bay Area! This family-owned business operates from the “old school of customer service” ... prompt, quality service using quality products.  Furnace Repair...
• What’s the Buzz About Native Plants?
  Native plants are defined as plants that evolved naturally in a particular area before other plants from foreign locations were introduced. Co-evolving with local animals, fungi and microbes, native plants form a complex network of relationships, or ecosystem. Native Plants are now available at Cole Hardware! We get our plants from the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council...  More about wildflowers and their benefits...
• Elbow Grease Designs
  The goal of Elbow Grease Designs is to make beautiful and practical items out of what has been discarded. Everything in the line has been designed and hand sewn in the San Francisco Bay Area from discarded vinyl signs and banners. Originally printed for local trade shows, conventions, municipal or private advertising, these ENORMOUS banners would otherwise end up in the landfill.  Elbow Grease...
• What’s Unique?
  Welcome to the “What’s Unique?” feature of the Hardware Hotline. Among the thousands of items that we stock, we thought it would be fun to highlight some of the items that are just plain… unique.  What's Unique...