Handy Andy Home Improvement Center
| Hardware store | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | circa 1980 |
| Defunct | June 1996 |
| Headquarters | Schaumburg, Illinois |
Key people | Richard George, President |
| Products | Lumber, tools, hardware, garden supplies & plants |
| Website | None |
Handy Andy Home Improvement Centers was a Midwestern chain of big box home improvement centers led by president Richard George and headquartered in Schaumburg, Illinois. The stores operated in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The stores were highly visible and well known for their very large vertical stripes of brown and white that would typically cover the entire building.
Acquisitions
In 1986, Handy Andy acquired six Mr. HOW stores from Nashville, Tennessee-based Service Merchandise in the Chicago area. The stores were later renamed.[1]
In 1987, Handy Andy acquired the Forest City lumber chain with stores in Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois from Forest City Enterprises.
Bankruptcy
Handy Andy declared bankruptcy on October 17, 1995, due to creditor pressures, which led to the closure of about 20 of its stores. At that time, Handy Andy had over $120 million in debt and was planning to reorganize into hardware supermarkets. In early 1996, however, creditors forced Handy Andy to liquidate its assets to repay its outstanding debts. On January 25, 1996, Handy Andy announced it would be closing its remaining 54 stores, laying off over 2,500 employees.[2] By June 1996, Handy Andy Home Improvement Centers had ceased to exist.
Richard George was president of Handy Andy Home Improvement Centers. He was at the helm at the time of Handy Andy's bankruptcy on October 17, 1995, and for the company's ultimate closure in June 1996.