Jake Slykhuis immigrated to New Zealand from Holland in 1957, he began in the building trade. In 1984 Jake and his daughter Emma Van Ecthen bought Foxton Hardware, a Valuerite store, Interest rates for business loans back then were 24%.

After some time, Emma became CEO of the business, back then accounts were all handwritten and statements were done on the typewriter on lineflow paper.

The building in Main Street Foxton was 17m x 5m at first, which included an outhouse toilet for staff. There were 5 adjoining shops of similar size.

Jake bought these shops and created a bigger space for more hardware in Foxton, for many years it was Valuerite, before becoming independent and then transferring into TrueValue and then Mitre 10 Foxton and eventually becoming the store it is today - Foxton Hammer Hardware.

In 1997 Jake and Emma bought Levin Mitre 10 and Otaki Mitre 10. This added value to their already existing business in Foxton. Mitre 10 Foxton relocated to a larger space in Wharf Steet Foxton in 2005 for approximately 7 years then returned to its present location in Main Street as a Hammer Hardware store

On moving back to our old shop in the main street of Foxton, we increased our floor space and now is 31 meters x 22 meters as well as an 18-meter x 14-meter garden center with various selections of plants, trees and garden products.

Due to our existing relationship with Mitre 10 Levin, Hammer Hardware Foxton has a greater variety of products, in which we can offer our customers a larger selection of Hardware supplies for contractors and handyman with day-to-day household items.