The small business “shop local” advocacy group Independent We Stand today announced that Trio Hardware in Plainview, N.Y., is winner of its third annual Indie Award, reports CNN.com.

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“Our goal is to recognize a small business that has gone above and beyond with its customers and its community,” said Bill Brunelle, executive director of Independent We Stand. “What stood out for us is how the community has rallied to keep Trio Hardware alive for so long.”…In the ’90s, residents staged a protest when the landlord tried to void the lease after a fire. More recently, there have been active campaigns to keep Home Depot and Lowe’s at bay. “It’s still affecting us that those stores are nearby, but it could have killed us if they were right in our community,” said Trio co-owner Bruce Carlow.

Read the full story: America’s favorite small business is … (CNN.com)