White's Family History
Where the Story Begins
White's did not begin with hardware experts or a proven playbook. It began with a family willing to take a risk, learn the work, and build the business alongside a strong group of people.
What Inspired Steve
Before entering the hardware business, Steve White worked as a computer programmer. He eventually decided that he wanted to leave that career and build a business of his own. The influence behind that decision came from within the family.Sharon's father, Jack Keifer, owned Indiana Metal Treating. Steve appreciated what Jack had accomplished and respected the independence and responsibility that came with owning a business. When Steve later described why he wanted to start a company, the answer was straightforward: he wanted to follow Jack's example and build a business of his own.Steve considered several different kinds of businesses before deciding that a hardware store was the right path. He did not enter the business with years of hardware experience. He entered it because he had decided to create a company of his own and was willing to learn what was required to make it work.
Building a Family Business
Building White's Together
In 1977, Steve and Sharon White opened their first hardware store in the Chapel Hill area of Indianapolis. They were new to the hardware business and learned the work as they went, supported by a great group of people. That beginning matters because White's was not built by one person or from a proven formula. It was built through shared work, learning, and persistence.That remains important today. New team members are not expected to know everything on their first day. They are expected to learn, ask questions, help others, and contribute to the team.Steve worked the sales floor while Sharon ran the cash register. As their son, Chris, grew older and the company expanded, Sharon moved from the register into the business office, handling payroll and accounts payable, first from an office at home and later from her office at the Carmel store. Her work behind the scenes for decades was every bit as vital to White's success as anything that happened on the sales floor.Sharon passed away in 2024. She is deeply missed, and her contribution remains part of the company White's is today. Steve and Sharon had different responsibilities, but both were essential to building White's.From the beginning, one expectation remained consistent: take care of the customer and give people a locally owned hardware business they could depend on. Steve also described a goal of building the best hardware stores in central Indiana and giving people opportunities to learn, grow, and take on greater responsibility.
The Second Generation
Chris White officially began working for White's in 1994. He started as a salesperson, then became an assistant manager, store manager, and operations manager. In 2025, he moved into the role of Vice President. Because he came through the work itself, White's day-to-day leadership is grounded in firsthand experience on the sales floor and in store operations.
Family Leadership Today
Ownership and Leadership
Steve remains the full owner and President of the company. Although partially retired, he continues to work two to three days a week overseeing the company's finances. Chris serves as Vice President and oversees the day-to-day operations of the business. Together, they represent two generations actively leading White's.At White's, the name on the building is the family name. That creates responsibility in both directions. Every team member helps determine what that name means to a customer, and family leadership is responsible for supporting the people who uphold it. Ownership remains local, and leadership decisions carry a direct responsibility to team members, customers, and the communities the stores serve.
What Has Endured
White's has changed significantly since Steve and Sharon opened the first store in 1977, but the central family expectation has remained: take care of the customer and operate as a locally owned business people can depend on. The company's current purpose and operating standards give that expectation clearer language, but the commitment to customers and local ownership was present long before those standards were formally written.
Your Place in the Story
Working at White's means becoming part of a story built by family leadership and generations of team members. You are not expected to know everything immediately, but you are expected to learn, help, take responsibility, and give customers a reason to continue depending on White's.