Thomas J. Petro & Co. began in 1968 as a product showroom for our building and construction company, Tri-Craft Construction Co. The company started by Thomas J. Petro, Sr. and his wife Helen, soon found that retail hardware was a perfect fit with their business plan, and thus began the current hardware business. The Construction Company was closed in 1972 so that the owner could devote more time to the growing hardware business.

The untimely death of the company's founder in 1977 left the business in an uncertain predicament. However, the business was taken over by his wife Helen and his two sons Thom, Jr. and Joe and continued to flourish. It was in 1981 that Petro Hardware became affiliated with ACE Hardware Corp. When Helen passed away in 1993, the business transferred to the current owners Thom Petro, Jr. and Joe Petro.