Family Works: Davis Decorative Hardware

A Legacy of Craftsmanship & Family Values

by Taylor Trahan Henry

The Davis family laid the foundation for their hardware emporium in 1982, with a vision to provide high-quality, stylish, and functional hardware solutions for both residential and commercial projects. From the jump, Davis Decorative Hardware – formerly Davis Sales Co. – was a father-son venture. John F. “Jack” Davis Jr. was an engineer and Bert was recently out of Millsaps College with a business degree. When Bert decided to return home, he and Jack started selling sandpaper to cabinet makers in the Baton Rouge area. They quickly saw a need for additional functional hardware products, such as glue, drawer slides, hinges, and screws. As the business expanded into southeast Mississippi and New Orleans, they saw an additional need for decorative hardware that could be sold directly to homeowners along with residential home builders, particularly custom home builders. What started out as two men has now grown to a 15-member team and four showrooms across South Louisiana – two in Baton Rouge, one in New Orleans, and one right here in Lake Charles.

Bert’s son, Walker, joined the Davis Decorative Hardware team after graduating from LSU and currently serves as the Branch Manager for the Lake Charles location. “Our core values are customer commitment, honesty and integrity, professionalism, teamwork and continuous improvement,” says Walker. “We believe that family is important, and we treat our customers like family. We have built long-lasting relationships over the past 42 years and will continue to build those relationships well into the future.”

As you can imagine, a lot has changed over the four decades the Davis family has been in business. Today, there is so much commerce happening online that many showrooms are obsolete. But that’s not the case in the company’s four locations. “We’ve put extra effort into making our in-store experience special,” says Walker. “We know that people can get hardware from a variety of places, but we strive to take the ‘hard’ out of hardware. When a client comes to our showroom, they deal with a staff member who is trained in attention to detail.” Experience gained through years of working on project after project is the key to making customers’ experiences seamless. “Most consumers don’t realize all of the information they need to purchase the correct hardware,” he says. “Our team knows the questions to ask, the information to provide, and has the resources to get the order right the first time. If there is a problem, we solve the issue. These are services that you simply don’t get online.”

The success of Davis Decorative Hardware was not without its challenges. Like any family business, they faced their share of ups and downs. Fluctuations in the economy mean that, over the years, projects have ranged in size. However, the Davis family stayed true to their roots, focusing on their unique strengths – personal touch, expertise, and a curated collection that reflected the evolving tastes of their customers. “Sometimes the rate of new home construction goes down and we have to re-focus on more home improvement,” says Walker. “We are appreciative of every customer and have always available for whatever job size and scope they needed.”

Moreover, the sense of community that Davis Decorative Hardware fosters is unparalleled. The family believes that their customers are an extension of their own family, and this philosophy is reflected in every interaction. From small DIY projects to large-scale commercial ventures, they treat each inquiry with equal enthusiasm and dedication. Many customers have become lifelong friends, returning time and again to experience the warmth of the Davis family.

Investing back into the communities they serve is a priority for the Davis family. “We believe community is important and the Lake Charles community has been exceptionally inviting to us,” says Walker. “Recently, we’ve sponsored LA MOO University being held at McNeese. We have also provided hardware for the St. Jude Dream Home in Lake Charles. In other parts of the state, we participate in sponsoring holes for golf tournaments, giving to high school athletics programs, and a variety of other non-profit organizations.”

In the fast-paced world of commerce, Davis Decorative Hardware stands as a testament to the power of passion, craftsmanship, and family values. With their roots firmly planted in the past and their eyes set firmly on the future, they have not only survived but thrived, leaving a mark on their community and the industry they love.

To learn more about Davis Decorative Hardware visit their Lake Charles showroom at 5111 Common St., Suite 200 or visit them online at www.davisdecorativehardware.com.