For owners Chris and Nicky, the award recognises more than a new store. It reflects a long-term commitment to a community they knew they wanted to return to.
The story began in 2004, when Chris went into business with his parents and bought a small hardware store in the main street of Branxton.
“It was one of those good old-fashioned hardware stores in somebody’s old, converted house that kept sort of getting added on to and added on to,” Chris says.
As the business grew, the family opened stores in Scone and Muswellbrook, but never lost sight of Branxton.
“We always had the intention of coming back and doing something in these Branxton areas,” Chris says.
That opportunity arrived around six years ago when commercial land became available in the rapidly developing area. The family secured the site and opened a temporary pop-up store in a leased shed for 12 to 18 months while preparing for the new build.
“It was just to get something started, just to get the customer base back in and a bit of a footprint in town,” Chris says.
Then came the greenfield build.
C&N Mitre 10 Huntlee opened in June 2025, bringing the family back to the community where it all began.
Knowing the community
For Chris, with more than 20 years in hardware, and Nicky, who has worked in local media for more than 13 years, knowing the community was central to the store.
“We’re all about community,” Nicky says.
The area combines established homes with thousands of new houses under development, creating demand from homeowners, renovators and trades.
“Just really knowing and understanding what our customer is, and a big focus on community,” Nicky says.
The store offers a strong hardware and garden range, along with a convenience trade service for tradies who need that last item to finish a job.
“They can grab something conveniently, just up the road from their job site,” Chris says.
For the community, the return of a local hardware store has also been significant. The previous Branxton store closed around six or seven years ago when its lease expired.
“The community didn’t really realise just how much they need it until it’s gone,” Chris says.
When C&N Mitre 10 returned, customers who had shopped with the family for years came back – some bringing thank-you cards and bottles of wine.
“Thank you for reopening. We missed you guys,” Chris recalls customers saying.
Creating a place to belong
Nicky has also introduced social events designed to bring people into the store for reasons beyond shopping.
“It’s not about trying to sell stuff,” she says.
The events bring together locals of different ages and backgrounds, with wine tasting, suppliers, live music and a fire pit.
One couple who had attended previous events even treated the latest gathering as a date night.
“It really is that social hub connecting the community together,” Chris says.
That same community focus runs through the store’s retail strategy.
Despite its small footprint, C&N Mitre 10 Huntlee has concentrated on doing the fundamentals well.
Rather than trying to be everything to everyone, the owners have focused on understanding what their community needs and delivering it well.
“It’s the big thing – trying to not try and do everything, but try and do exactly what the community needs,” Chris says.
The next stage is already taking shape, with plans to expand the site’s offering, including a trade centre.
“We’re very positive that we can continue to prove that there is a place for small-format retail hardware if you do it right,” Chris says.
“And for us, the point of difference is just knowing our local community and being a genuine hardware store.”
Building the future
For the family, the business is also about the next generation.
At just 10 years old, Chris and Nicky’s twin sons, Harry and Hunter, help pack shelves, serve customers, sign up Mighty Rewards members and work alongside the family.
“They really get into it. They really embrace it,” Chris says.
The boys were thrilled when the store won its award and have also embraced its community role, including running a free Father’s Day barbecue.
“They cooked, they served, they did everything,” Chris says.
For Chris and Nicky, the goal is bigger than building a successful store.
“You want them to have the opportunities to go and do whatever they want to do in life,” Chris says.
“But at the end of it, we are really trying to build and create something that either gives them opportunities to get involved later on in life, or gives them opportunities to take on something of their own passion and find their own path.”
Just over a year after opening, C&N Mitre 10 Huntlee has already made its mark, proving that a small-format hardware store can do something powerful when it knows its customers, backs its community and stays true to what it does best.