Employee of the Month "Keeping it Grill"

Steve Ross, the "jack of all trades" at Do it Best Hardware, was unanimously honored as Employee of the Month for June.

Ross is a Bremen native who began working part-time at the Eighth Street hardware store in 2013, a gig that turned to full-time in the spring of 2014. Now, he's the only employee of Todd and Renae Duchscherer at the store. This isn't Ross' first hardware-related career though. He installed windows and doors for a contractor in Fargo for 10 years and worked a stint at Lemer's ACE Hardware in Harvey.

Ross went to lineman school after receiving his high school diploma, but that career didn't materialize. "I never got to be a lineman," Ross says. That didn't stop him from learning a new trade though. He moved back to his hometown of Bremen in 2004.

At Do it Best, Ross says he has a fair amount of freedom, and he has learned quite a bit about the various product lines on sale at the store. His favorite season is spring, because it is the busiest. Residents complete a variety of projects during that time, including electrical, plumbing and lawn and garden work. "I've learned a lot about plumbing, just by helping customers get the right parts for their projects," he notes.

Assembling the store's Blackstone griddles, which have been a hit this spring, is also on the docket for Ross. Do it Best carries the flat-top outdoor cooking appliances as well as gas grills and smoker grills, perfect for summertime.

Husqvarna lawn equipment is also popular at Do it Best, as the Duchscherers blew through their first order of zero turn and rider mowers already this season and have ordered a second time.

Speaking of ordering, Ross even helps with that. He puts together the initial order based on what he sees in the store that is selling well, and owner Todd takes a final look before submitting the order. Todd's wife Renae is the relief worker, who comes in the late afternoon so Ross can go home, or spends the day when he needs a day off. Their daughter Mariah is also there to lend a hand.

"Customers miss him when he's gone, so he must be doing a bang up job," Renae noted. She said Ross is a top-notch employee has stepped up and took responsibility to keep the store open.

Customer Jean Schuster agrees, as she nominated Ross for the award. "He is always willing to help customers pick out the right items for their projects," she said.

Have you experienced great service at a local business? If so, tell the New Rockford Area Chamber of Commerce about it! Nomination forms and cards are available at the Transcript office, in the table tents at local businesses and online at cityofnewrockford.com/chamber. Nominations can also be emailed to [email protected].