Payzant's Home Hardware: A Family Business Built in Sackville

 < Back to Love, Sackville Articles

Payzant Building Products Ltd. has served communities with quality building material and hardware since 1964. Over the past 58 years, the company grew from one location on Sackville Drive to eight locations across the Maritimes. The foundation of Payzant’s was built here in Sackville and continues to operate with the values of a local family business, passed down through generations.

Matthew Payzant is the general manager of Payzant Home Hardware Building Centre, located at 250 Sackville Drive. Matthew says, “My grandfather, John Payzant, started the company.”

“There were a few employees that worked alongside [my grandfather] who only recently retired a few years ago—for most of them, this was their first job and they worked here for over 40 years.”

In the 1950s, after moving from Windsor to Lower Sackville, John secured a job as a clerk at Blackburn’s Shopping Centre, one of the first shopping malls in Nova Scotia. In 1964, John purchased the building materials portion of the business from Mr. Blackburn and Payzant Building Products Ltd. was born.

“We are so thankful for the community of Sackville, and excited for the growth happening in our city.”

A few years later, John moved the business to its current site on Sackville Drive. In 1970, Payzant’s joined ranks with the Home Hardware family of stores, largely due to the company’s guiding ethic—that community and the common good is simply good business.

Matthew says, “My grandfather worked on the floor for a long, long time. There were a few employees that worked alongside him who only recently retired a few years ago—for most of them, this was their first job and they worked here for over 40 years.”

Matthew, one of 16 grandchildren, is proud to continue the legacy his family built and was recognized internationally for his hard work and dedication, two of many skills passed down through the Payzant generations. In 2017, Matthew was awarded the Young Retailer of the Year Award by the North American Retail Hardware Association. He was one of the hardware industry’s eight award recipients and won under the category for successfully operating multiple locations. Matthew says, “We are so thankful for the community of Sackville, and excited for the growth happening in our city. From the entire Payzant’s team, thank you for 58 great years—and here’s to many more yet to come!”