La Crosse 150-year-old staple, Kroner’s Hardware, seeking new management

One of downtown La Crosse’s longest-running businesses could be changing hands soon.

Kroner’s Hardware on Pearl Street has announced that the store is for sale. Bill Kroner is the last member of his family to work at the hardware store which opened in more than 150 years ago, and he’s ready to sell.

“We actually sold the building last year, and so it’s just a business at this point,” says Kroner. “We’ve got a lease until the middle of next February, so at this point we’re putting it out there that if somebody wanted to take over the store, we’d be interested in selling the business part of it.

Kroner expects that the store could remain open until that lease expires. He says the hardware retailer remains popular with people living in the main business district, “because the people downtown, in a lot of respects, don’t want to have to go to Wal-Mart or travel a long way.” He says the store has popular appliances, like toasters and microwaves, food processors, and can openers. They also have greeting card racks amid all the products on the main sales floor.

This week, Kroner’s announced on social media that the store is being offered for sale. Bill Kroner is now part of a group running the store which was started by his great-grandfather Adam in 1868. He doesn’t have specific plans for what could happen to the business once the lease runs out.