When Westlake's Ingersoll Hardware closed its doors in November, Darryl Archer didn't know where he would take his decades of experience and know-how.

The store manager had come to know his customers on a first-name basis over the years, and many even came back with proud pictures of their completed projects to thank him for his help.

“I just like fixing people’s problems and seeing everyone walk away with what they need,” he said when Ingersoll first announced it would be closing. “I’ve always worked with my hands myself, and if someone else learns something here, I love it.”

Glenn Palmer, owner of Lakewood Hardware, was at Ingersoll the day it closed, and that's when he saw Archer.

"I went out there to pick up some stuff and I watched how hard he worked, knowing full well he didn't have a job tomorrow," Palmer said. "He was loyal to the bitter end. How do you not love that guy?"

This month, Archer found himself a new home at Lakewood Hardware, and he's already seeing some familiar faces.

"It's nice to be back in this business," he said. "There are customers from Rocky River, Westlake and Bay Village coming in here who I waited on for years," he said.