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Joe and Carol Lato owned Strat-
ford Hardware from 1956-1988.
They purchased the business from
Allen and Beatrice McCrory. It was
located in the building which houses
the Kozy Kafe today.
They purchased the Grasal
building three doors to the south in
July of 1960. The building was re-
modeled and moved to the new loca-
tion Sept. 1960. In Nov. of 1969 they
added on to the building back to the
alley. The opening of the new addi-
tion was in June of 1970. They re-
tired from the hardware business in
November of 1988.
Stratford Hardware in 1966.
Stratford Homes
From Stratford Journal
The April 5, 1973 issue of the Stratford Journal an-
nounced the sale of the Kenwood Homes, Inc., plant to Strat-
ford Homes, Inc., a completely locally-owned mobile home
manufacturing corporation. Stratford Homes was accepting
applications for employment and would accept former Ken-
wood Homes and North Star employees. They would employ
approximately 75 people at the outset of operations.
Stratford Homes began production on Monday, April 9.
1973. By April 19 they announced their first completed 24x48
foot home. They planned to run two complete homes a day in
the near future. Stockholders and officers of the company
were Dean Wieland, President; Ardell Klemme, Don Ferring,
Larry Klemme and Charles Krause, vice presidents; Ken
Breit, secretary and Robert Ulrich, treasurer.
In 1974 they changed from mobile homes to modular
homes. In 1987 the business was purchased by VCI Industries
of Minnesota. Dean Wieland remained with Stratford homes
until March of 1990 when he retired and moved to Rhinelan-
der.
Glenn Chadbourne is the current president. Stratford
Homes is still manufacturing modular homes and has eighty
employees.