Our History
Since 1938, Hommel has been a fixture in the community. We intend to keep it that way.
Hommel has been around since the 1938 but the history of the building goes back much farther.
For example, this photograph was taken in the mid-1800's, when the building housed the Greenport Library. It was the first recorded lending library in the village.
The building actualy housed the precursor to the Suffolk Times. The Suffolk Weekly Times was established in 1857.
Before the current power plant was built in its current location on Moore's Lane (see photo), it was previously in the middle of the village. In February 1887, the Greenport Light and Power company was formed by private investors to furnish light and power to the village. The fist plant was located in the Hommel building.
In 1938, Clinton A. Hommel opened a plumbing and contracting company at Hommel's current address.
The building behind it was connected to the front building, dramatically increasing its space. There's a little door on the second floor where you can see between the buildings--including the original shingles on the front building.
Here's an early 1960's ad touting $131.75 Frigidaire water heaters that provide "all the hot water I want--all the time!".
Here's another Hommel ad from the same era featuring $199.95 refrigerators.
In 1982, Bob Reeves bought the store. By then, it was mostly a retail store. He owned it for 24 years.
In March, 2006, Bruno and Felice Semon bought the store. They'd be just the third owner since it opened.
The Semon's refreshed and increased their inventory, made service a top priority, and they worked to grow their wholesale business. To this day, Hommel continues to have a strong relationship with East End plumbers and contractors.
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They also removed the signature hand-cut block letter sign and replaced it with a more modern one.
Proposed rendering of new sign
In 2021, Robert Morrow and family bought the business. The Morrow's have invested in Greenport for over 20 years.
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Because they knew how important Hommel is to the community it serves and its beloved place in Greenport's history, they decided to keep it open and invest in it to keep it strong.
Besides expanding their staff, inventory, and focusing on stellar service to the wholesale and retail community, Hommel is honoring the business’ history starting with a new logo that pays homage to the iconic block lettering from the 1950's.