Ace Hardware

80 Years of Growth and Service

Ace Hardware grew throughout the Midwest in the 1930s, and in the 1940s even among wartime shortages and rationing, Ace's innovative strategies met public needs, thus strengthening their reputation as a neighborhood store. One unique product sold was baby chickens, which provided customers with a source of much-needed meat. After the war, Ace introduced its first "Super Ace Store," sporting wider aisles with products organized within in departments—a new concept.

In the 1950s Ace Hardware initiated the first "self-service" store in Merrillville, Indiana. In the 1960s the store had spread from the Midwest and opened warehouses in California and Georgia. By the end of the decade, Ace expanded its merchandise lines to include items beyond hardware. This innovation paid off, and by 1975 Ace Hardware not only had stores in nearly all 50 states but they began to expand into the international market.

By the mid 1980s, Ace passed the $1 billion wholesale sales mark and today the company has surpassed $3 billion in sales. Today the name Ace is globally trusted.

Ace Hardware's Promising Future

In America, today's stable hardware market is expanding. More and more people are willing to take on do-it-yourself projects including remodeling. If you're considering going into the hardware business, Ace Hardware offers a promising future for hard working individuals with a good work ethic.

Independently Owned

Ace Hardware has not lost the vision first held by those individual Chicago area store owners who united decades ago. In today's thriving do-in-yourself market, the dream to own your own Ace Hardware store is attainable and without franchise or royalty fees. Benefits associated with uniting with the Ace Hardware name includes incentive packages and advantages that help open your business. These incentives include:

• A comprehensive training program
• Financing programs
• Inventory discount
• Assistance with finding the right location
• Assistance with recruiting and staffing services
• Shared innovations
• Corporate marketing
• State-of-the-art retailing design

Products

Ace Hardware offers thousands of high-quality products offering their customers one-stop shopping. Today's inventory has grown along with the the chain and includes supplies for:

• Lawn and garden
• Outdoor living
• Paint
• Home Goods
• Hardware
• Plumbing
• Heating and Cooling
• Electrical
• Auto
• Bathroom Accessories

Because stores are individually owned, Ace has stores of varying sizes which still receive the benefit of belonging to a major chain.

Online Presence

In 80 years, Ace has expanded upon its stable foundation. It has supplied customers' needs through good times and bad times. Today their selection of products allows customers to find all their home improvement supplies under one roof, along with extras like pet supplies, seasonal items, safety equipment, wild bird supplies and more.

Although Ace has been in existence for 80 years, the company strives to provide a cutting-edge online presence and have taken steps in recent years to improve site effectiveness by identifying where customers get derailed. A lost customer is lost revenue. Today, their website offers more than products. Other features offered for the customer include:

• Store locator
• Ability to purchase a gift card
• Monthly rebates
• Ability to shop by brand
• Shop by catalog

It doesn't matter if you shop in your community or on line, Ace will have what you're looking for--quality and good customer service..