Westlake Ace Hardware announced today that it has agreed to acquire Edgebrook Ace Hardware, a family-owned retailer based in Chicago, Ill.

The 8,700 sq. ft. store, located at 5423 West Devon Ave., will keep its Ace branding and will retain much of its current product mix and personnel. It is anticipated that the acquisition will be completed on June 1, 2025.

The Edgebrook location has served the northwest Chicago community as a hardware store for several decades. Mary Beth and Lou Manfredini purchased the hardware store in 2005 and rebranded it as Edgebrook Ace Hardware.

“This store is more than just a place to buy paint, tools, nuts, and bolts – it’s a trusted resource where neighbors find solutions, guidance, and a helping hand, always with a smile,” said Mary Beth and Lou Manfredini. “We are deeply grateful to our customers and are thrilled that Edgebrook Ace will continue serving the community under Westlake Ace’s leadership.”

The sale also marks the retirement of longtime store manager Ed Coren and his wife Sue, front-end manager. The Corens, who began working at the store nearly 40 years ago, have become beloved fixtures in the community.

“For the past 20 years, Lou and Mary Beth Manfredini have continued the decades-long tradition of steadfast community support and service at Edgebrook Ace,” said Joe Jeffries, president and CEO of Ace Retail Holdings, the parent company of Westlake Ace Hardware. “It’s an honor to carry on their legacy. We look forward to showing our new friends, neighbors, and customers in Edgebrook how we live the Ace Helpful Promise daily through world-class service, helpful advice, and the leading products they need to get their projects done right.”

Westlake Ace Hardware also owns Buikema’s Ace Hardware, a seven-store chain in the Chicagoland.

About Westlake Ace Hardware

For 120 years, Westlake Ace Hardware has been the helpful neighborhood hardware store countless generations have counted on for power and hand tools, fasteners, paint, plumbing, lawn care, pet products, electrical supplies, and BBQ grills and accessories. Westlake lives the Ace Helpful Promise every day by delivering reliable service, helpful advice, and products so its customers and neighbors get their projects done right every time.

Westlake Ace has been part of the Ace Hardware Cooperative since 1959. From its headquarters in the Kansas City area, the company currently owns and operates more than 170 stores in 13 states:

• California (Ace Hardware locations in the Bay Area, Central Valley, Northern California, and Southern California)
• Illinois (Buikema’s Ace Hardware)
• Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, Nebraska, New York, New Mexico, and Oklahoma (Westlake Ace Hardware)
• Texas (Breed & Company and Westlake Ace Hardware)
• North Carolina (Westlake Ace Hardware and Outer Banks Ace Hardware)
• Washington (Westlake Ace Hardware and Dennis Company Ace)

Westlake Commercial, Westlake Ace’s dedicated business-to-business division, features a team of business development managers who regularly work with commercial customers — such as multi-family properties, businesses, schools, and municipalities — to deliver the supplies for maintenance and repair operations at The Speed of Need. The team has access to more than 800,000 products, including commercial lighting, appliances, and safety and cleaning supplies.

Westlake Ace is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ace Retail Holdings. A division of Ace Hardware Corporation, Ace Retail Holdings currently owns and operates more than 250 Ace Hardware stores nationwide under the Breed & Co., Buikema’s Ace, Dennis Company Ace, Great Lakes Ace, Westlake Ace, and Outer Banks Ace brands.