Ace Hardware Captures Special Moments to Celebrate it’s 100-Year Anniversary

By Wanda Lenoir

It takes perseverance, commitment, and teamwork for a company to stay in business for 100 years. While many Independent retailers hope to build a legacy for future generations, they know the path forward may be challenging. However, it’s beneficial for store owners to gain insights from forward-thinking companies and industry leaders with a successful track record. Ace Hardware is pulling out all the stops to celebrate the company’s 100-year anniversary and the folks who have made the business a success. Jason Hipskind, Corporate Vice President—New Business, offers an in-depth perspective on Ace’s past, present, and future.

The company is holding a yearlong celebration; when did the planning begin?
We only get one chance to celebrate our first 100 years, so the team has been planning and working for a few years to deliver a celebration worthy of the accomplishment. A cornerstone of the celebration is the launch of our mini-documentary series Heartware Stories and the Heartware 100. We documented 100 stories that captured moments of “Ace Helpful” in each of the 50 states. There is no better way to celebrate the heart of Ace than by telling the stories of how Ace retailers and employees care for and serve their communities. The yearlong celebration also has events focused on our owners, team, and consumers.

• We have launched a collection of clothing, Ace Hardware Vintage Threads, that honors the history and legacy of Ace and features logos original to 1924.
• On Aug. 8, the eyes of the entire hardware industry will be focused on the Ace Fall Convention in our hometown of Chicago as our Centennial Celebration recognizes 100 years of excellence and looks ahead to our bright future.
• On Saturday, June 29, we invited the entire country to come to their local Ace for the Biggest Block Party celebration. We also have more exciting plans that we can’t wait to share later in the year.

Why has Ace thrived for 100 years when other iconic companies have gone out of business?
It all started with an idea – four hardware store owners in Chicago partnered together to purchase a truckload of sponges. They wanted to create size and scale to better compete with the retail giants of Montgomery Ward and Sears & Roebuck. That idea has grown into Ace Hardware, the country’s largest retailer-owned cooperative in the world.

While it was a great idea, it is not the reason Ace has outlasted the retail giants that were our competition in 1924. At Ace, we exist to serve others. Our purpose, to serve others, along with our values of winning, excellence, love, integrity, gratitude, humility, and teamwork, is the bedrock and foundation of Ace and our longevity. Our devotion to service and our values have led to 100 years of growth and success.

What role do the co-op’s employees and culture play in the organization’s success?
Without people, our purpose and values are just words on a piece of paper. Our culture is our entire team, the people of Ace, bringing our purpose and values to life each and every day. As long as we protect our values and live them out in our culture as we bring Ace Helpful to neighbors in need, we will continue to grow and thrive for generations to come. 

How does the company plan to turn its celebratory momentum into long-term action?
At Ace, we clearly understand that healthy things grow. We are not satisfied with 100 years of growth and over 5,000 domestic stores. In the last five years, we have opened over 900 Ace stores across the country. We are well-positioned to continue our aggressive growth. Thousands of communities across the country still need a local Ace Hardware, and we are actively working to bring Ace Helpful to those communities.

Why is servicing the “do-it-for-me” customer an opportunity?
Since 2019, Ace has been bringing Ace Helpful into our customer’s homes with Ace Handyman Services. The customer’s feedback has been loud and clear – they are asking Ace for an even broader range of home services, including plumbing, heating, cooling, electrical, and paint. With the launch of Ace Hardware Home Services, Ace will be the best, most helpful hardware stores on the planet and the best, most trusted provider of home preservation services nationwide. American households trust Ace as their partner to maintain and care for their home. Whether it is do-it-yourself or do-it-for-me, Ace is the place.

CEO John Venhuizen cautions retailers about becoming complacent. How do owners recognize the warning signs and change direction?
While Ace Hardware has outlasted the retail giants of 1924, today’s retail giants are even bigger and better funded. Complacency is not an option. Our value of teamwork is critical in our effort not to become complacent. Our store associates, owners, and the Ace Corporate Team must hold each other accountable to keep improving the store model. To do so, the entire Ace Team must actively listen to our customers so that we remain relevant and continue to provide the service, convenience, and quality they demand. Corporately, we must deliver the best products, services, and operating methods to our stores while our stores deliver a differentiated, exceptional shopping experience to the customer.

Ace receives outstanding reviews for customer service. Discuss the relationship between employee training and customer satisfaction.
Providing best-in-class customer service does not happen by accident. It all starts with our promise of being the most Helpful Place on the planet. To fulfill this promise, we provide extensive training on exceptional customer service, product knowledge, operational excellence, and leadership development to ensure our store associates, the red-vested heroes, are equipped to amaze every customer every time. Last year, our store associates completed over 1.3 million training hours through Ace Learning Place, which focused on being helpful. The momentum continues this year as our stores continue to invest in their people. We have over 38,000 product knowledge badges that have been earned, creating even more experts in the aisle to serve the customer. It is the partnership between the store owners, store associates, and the Ace Retail Training Team that consistently delivers outstanding customer reviews.

Are there areas in which AI can benefit independent retailers?
For years, Ace has been a technology leader in the hardware industry. Every investment we make in technology must support our mission to deliver the best products, services, and operating methods to convenience hardware retailers. We are proactively leveraging AI when it appropriately supports this mission.

How is the company laying the foundation for the next 100 years?  
Ace Hardware has never been more cherished and beloved in the hearts of our customers than it is today. That is a direct result of the foundation that was laid by the owners and leaders that came before. The solid foundation of our purpose, values, and culture provides us with the footing needed to continue our growth for the next 100 years.