Do It Best hardware held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday afternoon at its new store at 1024 Casitas Pass Road in Carpinteria.

There are more than 4,100 independently owned Do It Best stores, including locations in Carpinteria, Port Hueneme and a showroom in Ventura that specializes in kitchen and bath remodeling.

But after Carpinteria’s local hardware store left town several years ago, it was in need of a store such as Do It Best, store owner Greg Fehr said.

“We needed a hardware store, big time,” said Lynda Lang, president and CEO of the Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce. “This gives the community another reason to spend their money locally.”

Fehr recognized the need for a local hardware store when he was building his home. He said the store carries about 30,000 items but has the potential to order up to 70,000 tools and accessories for home and backyard repair and maintenance from its Ventura warehouse.

“People wondered if I was crazy opening this business, but this town needed it,” he said. “It’s a small store with big-store potential.”

Fehr said the independently owned and operated store will offer personalized service and competitive prices.

“People are taking a do-it-yourself approach because (in today’s economy) they often want to maintain what they have or upgrade themselves,” he said. “Or people are remodeling because they want to stay in Carpinteria.”

The store, which replaced a liquor store and video store, will cater to homeowners’ indoor and outdoor needs, plus will feature a camping section to appeal to Carpinteria’s tourism sector, Lang said.

“Three new restaurants also opened up within the past three months in Carpinteria,” she said, “and that’s a good sign.”

— Noozhawk staff writer Alex Kacik can be reached at akacik@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.