About Marvin's
History, Values, & Vision
Excellent Service & Quality Products
In 1945, Marvin Cohn opened a hardware store in Alabama City, Alabama (now Gadsden). His initial goal was to provide excellent service coupled with quality products. As business grew, Marvin opened an additional Gadsden location and added housewares, a small line of electrical supplies and plumbing supplies.
Expanding to Full-Service Home Centers
In 1956, Cohn rented a warehouse to accommodate Marvin's growing inventory of new products. Lumber, plywood, siding, and millwork had become major offerings. The business continued to expand and in 1965, a full-service home center was constructed to replace the two older stores. Since then, Marvin's has grown to include stores throughout Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee.
Present & Promising Future
Marvin's is now a member of the Central Network Retail Group. We are dedicated to exceeding customers' expectations with our outstanding service and low prices. Building on the past 70 years, Marvin's has remained devoted to providing a positive work environment, resulting in a successful company staffed with a "family" of hundreds of associates. As we look forward, we plan to keep growing and creating new opportunities for enthusiastic individuals with the desire to learn, grow, and succeed.
Our Values
Honesty and Integrity
Honesty and integrity are the foundation upon which all Marvin's values are built. We are honest in our dealings with customers, associates and vendors. Our integrity shows in the way we stand behind our products, honor our commitments, and do the right thing, without consideration of financial impact.
The Golden Rule
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
We believe in the Golden Rule, which is demonstrated everyday in the way we treat each other and by the example we set for one another. In all our interactions with our customers, associates, and colleagues, we seek to deal with others as we would have them deal with us.
Taking Care of Customers
At Marvin's, our customers are the reason for everything we do. Every associate has the authority and responsibility to take great care of each and every customer. We want to earn our customers’ trust and loyalty by taking every step possible to make them happy.
Teamwork
Our greatest asset, and the key to our success, is our staff. We believe that our employees deserve a sense of dignity, pride, and satisfaction in what we do. Because making each of our customers happy depends on the teamwork of many, we are most effective when we work together cooperatively, respecting each other's contributions and importance.
Open Communication
We believe in open communication with our associates about Marvin's performance, plans, and problems. Every associate is encouraged to respectfully share ideas, discuss problems, or ask for guidance from anyone in the company without fear. Open communication is best when our associates can freely discuss how to make Marvin's a better company for customers and staff alike so that we can always strive for excellence.
Our Vision
In 1966, Marvin Cohn’s oldest son Alfred joined the company and guided the collective efforts of our growing team of associates to expand throughout Alabama and Mississippi.
Our guiding vision, as described by Alfred Cohn:
"I see town after town in the Southeast with a Marvin’s in it, taking care of the building material and home improvement needs of the local communities. I see our customers as the hard-working people of our local communities striving to bring up their families and provide a nice home for the family to live in. I see Marvin's as the friendly "hometown" store where customers like to shop and associates like to work."
— Alfred Cohn
