From One Box of Screws to a National Supplier
More than 40 years ago, George Malcom started what would become one of Elkhart’s most trusted names in hardware, with nothing more than a single box of screws in the back of a beat-up car that had to be started with a screwdriver.
After leaving his job at Bender’s Hardware, George sold that first box and realized he’d made more money in a day than in 6 months on the sales floor. He took that spark and turned it into a business, one grounded in grit, creativity and the simple idea that good relationships and good hardware are built the same way: one piece at a time.
Building on Ingenuity
Through the late 1970s and 1980s, George grew his catalog, earned 17 patents and became a trusted supplier to early RV and camper manufacturers across northern Indiana. His knack for solving problems through smart design led to partnerships nationwide, eventually expanding into 10 regional locations across the U.S.
In the 1990s, the company consolidated operations back home in Elkhart to focus on quality and service, officially adopting the name George Malcom USA in 1994. The G and M still stand tall in the logo today, a nod to that heritage.
Honoring Legacy, Growing Forward
George’s brother, Kenny, was instrumental in expanding the product line through his own business, Kencon, which specialized in struts, brackets and hardware. Following Kenny’s passing in 2017, George Malcom USA acquired and merged Kencon into the company in 2019, combining two legacies under one roof and broadening the inventory into a true one-stop shop.
Today, George remains company president, and operations are led by his grandson Aaron Owen, who continues the family tradition of steady, hands-on leadership. The goal: scale for the future while keeping the heart of a family business intact.
Still a Family Shop at Heart
Every member of the team, many of whom have been here a decade or more, shares the same values that shaped the company’s earliest days: honesty and pride in doing the job right.