Middleton Building Supply a Beacon for "Buy Local" Ethos

In a tough economy, it’s understandable – smart even – for customers to want to save a buck. Which is a big reason why big box stores like Lowe’s, Home Depot, and Walmart remain prosperous despite the lean times.

But often forgotten in the week-to-week household budget calculus is where, exactly, that $15.99 for a hammer or gallon of paint actually goes. As it turns out, probably not where you thought.

“People need to realize that with the big box stores, most of that money gets funneled out of the local economy,” says Andy Carberry, Manager at Middleton Building Supply in Hampton. “It goes straight back to the corporations and to the stockholders.”

As it turns out, the statistics more than back up Carberry’s claims: According to a study conducted by Civic Economics, for every dollar spent locally, 68 cents remains in that business’ community, compared to just 43 cents of every dollar spent at big box stores.

For many communities – and doubtless for the Seacoast writ large – the difference could amount to millions of more dollars circulating and re-circulating throughout the local economy.

Re-circulating through places like Middleton – family owned and operated since 1962 – and hundreds of other independently businesses.
Despite both its Dover and Hampton branches standing mere miles from the shadows of their corporate competitors, Andy Carberry says Middleton’s community loyalty is nothing if not a two-way street.

“It’s a conversation I have every day with our customers, why they do business with us,” he says. “I had a customer just the other day go out of his way to tell me he’s going to buy as much as possible from us because he believes in local and he believes in the quality of products that we offer.”

Even when it comes to comparing prices, customers are often lead to believe – usually by the big box stores themselves – that they must choose between cost and conscious. Not so, says Carberry.

“People sometimes don’t realize how similar the prices are, mostly because we don’t spend nearly as much on advertising as the big stores do,” he says. “We actually have better prices on most items. But even on the items where there prices are a little higher or the same, if the customers just stop and ask themselves where they want their dollar going – back into the community or into a corporate profit structure – they’d realize it’s worth it.”

One big reason why Middleton is able to offer relatively competitive prices is their participation in the Lumber Merchandizing Corporation, a regional co-op of over 300 lumber yards and retail outlets that provides its members the opportunity to buy in bulk.

Similarly, because they’re locally owned and run, Middleton has the flexibility to adjust to changes in consumer demands more quickly than its larger competitors, allowing them to introduce new products and materials into their inventory.

Increasingly, that’s translated into more environmentally items lining the shelves. Indeed, a quick walk through the store reveals an impressive array of green products: Low or no VOC paint and caulking; trim boards made from recycled plastic; recycled and recyclable insulation; low-flush toilets; solar shingles; high-efficiency windows; and a line of green polyurethane wood finishing products made from renewable farm sources from Vermont Natural Coatings, just to name a few.

Yet another byproduct of their “buy local” ethos is Middleton’s long-heralded community efforts: Ever year, the company donates time and money to causes and programs ranging from the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts to little league teams and domestic violence prevention programs.

They’re also intimately involved with Zero Waste Portsmouth – initiative spearheaded by the Islington Creek Neighborhood Association, Tim Gaudreau Studios, and EcoMovement Consulting and Hauling which recently rolled out a series of five, artistically rendered recycling stations in and around the city’s downtown – having sponsored and donated lumber and other materials to the project.

In 2009, the company was one of the first to join Green Alliance, the Portsmouth-based “green business union” which helps certify and promote green businesses throughout the Seacoast community. As part of the organization’s “Green Card” program, Middleton offers a 5% discount off most in-stock items to Green Alliance members, showing yet again the value to be had by shopping local.

Taken together, the customer responsiveness, competitive pricing, increasingly green inventory, and steadfast dedication to community paint a picture of a company tackling the 21st century with a unique combination of old-school values and decidedly forward-thinking initiatives. It’s a picture Andy Carberry thinks the Seacoast community will continue to support and – like any snapshot successful in capturing a unique time and place – appreciate.

“When it comes to where you put your dollars, bigger is rarely better,” he says. “We’re very proud of our standing in the community, and hope we can continue to prove that buying local works, while continuing to support our community, neighbors and the programs that support our children.”