When U-Haul approached Ridgway Hardware manager Stephen Laster a year ago about adding moving and hauling services to the store’s business operations, he gave some thought to the idea.

But when Laster learned this summer about Ace Hardware’s plans to open a store in Ridgway, he pulled the trigger, looking to provide a buffer against his eventual competition and an additional revenue stream for the hardware store that’s been in Ridgway since 1985.

Starting Friday, Ridgway Hardware will begin offering truck and trailer rental services as an authorized dealer for U-Haul, becoming the only place to do so in Ouray County.

“I do believe it’s a need in the town, the county,” Laster said, noting the closest U-Haul rental facility is in Montrose.

The store at 276 S. Lena St. has plenty of storage space on the east end of the property. To begin, Laster anticipates offering just a handful of trucks and pull-behind trailers for rent, but he says he has enough room to host a dozen trucks and trailers each as the moving and hauling portion of the business grows. Ridgway Hardware will also double its inventory of items related to relocation, including moving boxes, bubble wrap and packaging tape.

Laster said he anticipates serving both customers who move out of Ouray County and who simply need to haul something from one end of the county to the other.

Laster says U-Haul will cover costs like insurance and vehicle maintenance and Ridgway Hardware will make a commission for every truck and trailer rented. Even with the expansion of services, he said the hardware store will always be the top priority.

“Our focus will always be the hardware store and taking care of the customers and the town,” he said. “This will just be another product we sell.”

To learn more or reserve a rental, call 970-626-5717.