Three Generations of Unparalleled Customer Service and of Course, Hardware

    If heaven were a hardware store, then entrepreneur Placido Antonio Cantelmi, an Italian immingrant, found it when he launched Cantelmi’s Hardware in 1922 on the South Side of Bethlehem.

    The young family man was inspired to start his own business after having worked at a nearby paint store. The original store, at 507 East Fourth Street, is still remembered fondly for its good hardware “aroma” of wooden floors, bins full of bulk nails, bulk screws and even grass seed sold by the pound.

    By 1939, Placido’s son Louis was on hand helping out, as were other staffers known for their service, and often, quick wit.

    Floor space was always a commodity, and after multiple expansions into adjacent buildings on East Fourth Street, Louis and his son Rick, decided to first expand Cantelmi’s Hardware in 1987, by moving a few doors down the tree-lined block into Cantelmi’s current location, a 17,000 square foot silk blouse mill at 521 E. Fourth Street.

    In 2006, carrying on the tradition of growth, third generation family owner Rick with his dad Louis at his side, took expansion to the next level by adding a second store to the fold. Across Northampton County in Forks Township, near Easton, a second Cantelmi’s Hardware was added at 1805 Sullivan Trail. This location nearly doubles the original store’s square footage and carries a wider array of products, while continuing to embody Placido’s founding philosophy of always putting the customer first. Today, Cantelmi’s Hardware is a member of the Ace Hardware network.

Cantelmi Hardware | 521 East 4th Street | Bethlehem, PA 18015 | (610)866-0532

Cantelmi's Forks Hardware | 1805 Sullivan Trail | Easton, PA 18040 | (610)515-9800