Yep, it’s a mouthful. But folks around here have been calling us Poultry for a long time. You see, way back in 1990 a local farmer, Tommy Steele, and his wife, Donna, heard a rumor that Tyson Foods was expanding their chicken business right here in Franklin County with a business plan promising to purchase chickens from all who would provide the facilities to raise them. It was a pretty big carrot to dangle under the noses of the local folks, and a lot of them jumped on the bandwagon with the dream of becoming Tyson tycoons. Soon, 300-foot long chicken houses were sprouting out of the ground and the farmers who erected them found themselves searching for the electrical and plumbing components that would make them tick.

Tommy jumped into the fray too and found himself painstakingly pulling together the much needed systems to run his own chicken house. It wasn’t an easy task. When word spread that Tommy had finally gotten his electric and plumbing installed and running, his neighboring wanna-be chicken farmers dropped by to pick his brain. Soon came the requests for Tommy to sell them the same fixtures and wiring he had installed. So, Tommy got inspired. He would!

Something from Nothing

Tommy and Donna opened a small electrical and plumbing supply store out of the garage on their property, and were soon filling the orders for anyone brave enough to jump into the chicken-raising business — and Poultry Electric was born.

Over time Tommy and Donna became quite the entrepreneurs. If you needed it and they didn’t have it, they’d find it for you. Soon, everyone within earshot knew Poultry Electric as the go-to supplier of all things plumbing and electrical.

It wasn’t long before word spread beyond the farmers as home-builders started to cross the threshold at Poultry looking for parts and services. After sending the first few inquisitors away empty handed, the couple realized they had better jump on this unforeseen opportunity. Using the same sources they had established for their poultry customers, Tommy and Donna stocked up on the supplies the plumbers and electricians needed to complete their commercial and residential projects.

Turn the Page

Jeff Frame grew up not far from the Steeles and made his way from learning to be a machinist to working as one in a local factory—a job he “disliked” from day one. Determined to make more of himself, Jeff jumped at the chance when the factory offered a voluntary layoff. He soon found himself in a new position with Tommy and Donna at Poultry.

As time passed, Tommy and Donna started bouncing around the idea of retiring to sunny Florida. Selling the store would make that dream a reality. With the quality of business they had built, it was’t long before they had a buyer — and Poultry changed hands for the first time. With their retirement solidified Tommy and Donna were off to dip their toes in the sand — but the story doesn’t end there.

With the new ownership, Jeff Frame moved on as well, but he had his own dream. He had learned everything about the electric and plumbing supply business from the Steeles, and he knew he was the guy to carry on their legacy. It took a couple of years to get everything in place, but he got there, socking away every penny, until he could purchase the store from the current owners.

The Unbroken Circle

With the store back in the fold, Jeff made a decree that the business would always be called by its namesake—Poultry Electric, but, Jeff also realized that the store offered far more than the original plumbing and electrical supplies and was bursting at the seams with lawn and garden equipment, hand and power tools, HVAC and hardware making the name short-sighted. So, Jeff expanded the name to Poultry Electric & Pro Hardware. “Tommy always told me he was proud of me for acquiring the store” says Jeff. “Tommy had a great sense of humor and would say ‘I taught you everything you know, but not everything I know about hardware.’” Hats off to Tommy and Donna.

Poultry Electric & Pro Hardware. We’re proud to serve the Franklin County community we love so much!

Now that’s something worth crowing about!