Ace Hardware
An American hardware and home-improvement retail cooperative whose independently owned stores share a national purchasing, distribution, service, and brand platform.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Ace Hardware is an American hardware and home-improvement retail cooperative headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois. Founded in 1924 by independent Chicago-area hardware merchants, the organization was created to increase purchasing power while preserving local ownership and store-level independence. It initially operated as a purchasing and wholesale organization under the name Ace Stores, adopting the Ace Hardware name in 1931. In 1973, after the retirement of longtime president Richard Hesse, the business was sold to its retail members and reorganized as a retailer-owned cooperative. That structure remains central to the brand: Ace Hardware Corporation supplies merchandise, distribution, technology, marketing, retail support, and other services, while participating stores are generally owned and operated by independent retailers. The cooperative model allows stores to benefit from common scale and branding without becoming conventional corporate branches. Ace’s assortment typically includes hand and power tools, fasteners, paint, decorating supplies, lawn and garden products, plumbing and electrical goods, cleaning products, household repair items, seasonal merchandise, and selected outdoor products. Store ranges and services differ by location because local owners adapt their businesses to community demand. The brand traditionally competes through neighborhood convenience, knowledgeable associates, personal service, and access to products for everyday repairs rather than through the very large warehouse formats associated with some home-improvement chains. Alongside its retail network, Ace has expanded wholesale distribution to independent non-Ace retailers through Emery Jensen Distribution and has developed home-repair services under Ace Handyman Services and Ace Home Services. Its international presence is delivered through licensing, distribution, franchise, and affiliate arrangements, so ownership and operating practices vary by market. By 2019, the cooperative reported more than 5,200 locations in 60 countries, supported by U.S. distribution centers and additional facilities abroad. Ace continues to operate as a private cooperative rather than a publicly traded company, combining centralized supply-chain capabilities with locally managed stores.
History
Ace Hardware began on October 25, 1924, when Richard Hesse, E. Gunnard Lindquist, Frank Burke, and Oscar Fisher combined the purchasing interests of independent hardware stores in the Chicago area. They named the organization Ace Stores after the First World War fighter pilots associated with the term “ace.” The purpose was to improve buying power and profitability without eliminating the independence of participating merchants. Ace Stores was incorporated in 1928 and opened its first warehouse in 1929. The company changed its name to Ace Hardware Corporation in 1931. By 1933, the network included retailers in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin. It introduced the Super Ace Store concept in 1946 and expanded substantially after the Second World War. The number of stores and wholesale activity grew rapidly through the late 1940s and 1950s, and in 1954 participating stores agreed to adopt the Ace Hardware name. By 1959, the organization supplied hundreds of stores and had more than tripled its wholesale sales from the late-1940s level. During the 1960s, Ace strengthened its logistics infrastructure, relocating its warehouse and corporate offices to Bedford Park, Illinois, and adding facilities in Northern California and Georgia to support expansion into western and southeastern states. Founder Richard Hesse retired in 1973. The following year, corporate offices moved to Oak Brook and a distribution center opened in Addison. Ace was then sold to its retailers and restructured as a cooperative. Independent retailers became the company’s exclusive shareholders, while the corporate entity continued primarily as a wholesaler, distributor, and provider of cooperative services. Under chief executive Roger Peterson in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Ace expanded sales and distribution capacity. Its “New Age of Ace” strategic plan, announced in 1994, focused on retail performance, operational efficiency, international growth, and faster store openings. Ace became the largest hardware cooperative in 1996 and the largest American hardware wholesaler by 2001. It continued investing in information systems, distribution centers, retail support facilities, and national marketing. In the 2010s, the company broadened its portfolio through new paint programs, logistics investments, wholesale acquisitions, digital initiatives, and expansion of member services. It launched Clark+Kensington premium paint in 2011, opened major distribution and retail-support facilities, and acquired Emery-Waterhouse and Jensen Distribution Services before forming Emery Jensen Distribution to serve independent retailers outside the Ace network. Ace also acquired Westlake Ace Hardware in 2012 and ACO Inc. in 2019. The company expanded beyond merchandise retail into home services as changing consumer behavior increased demand for professionally performed repairs. Handyman Matters became Ace Handyman Services, while later acquisitions added plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, electrical, and related capabilities. By 2024, Ace Home Services had expanded to hundreds of locations across much of the United States. Internationally, Ace has used licensing and affiliate arrangements rather than a single centrally owned store network. The brand entered Guam in 1963 and subsequently developed operations or licensing relationships across Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, and Oceania. Its international history includes changes in licensees and local ownership, including the ending of the Ace Canada relationship announced in 2024 and the rebranding of Indonesian stores after the prior license ended. Ace’s present identity remains based on the same combination of cooperative ownership, centralized sourcing and logistics, national brand support, and locally responsive retailing.
- 2024
Five-thousandth U.S. location opened
[1]Ace opened its 5,000th domestic location.
- 2023
Visalia logistics center opened
[1]Ace opened a large logistics center in Visalia, California.
- 2019
Ace Handyman Services created
[1]The Handyman Matters network began transitioning to the Ace Handyman Services brand.
- 2015
Wholesale sales exceed five billion dollars
[1]Ace passed five billion dollars in wholesale sales.
- 2012
Westlake Ace acquired
[1]Ace acquired its largest member, Westlake Ace Hardware.
- 2011
Clark+Kensington launched
[1]Ace introduced its Clark+Kensington premium paint line.
- 1996
Largest hardware cooperative
[1]Ace surpassed Cotter & Company to become the largest hardware cooperative.
- 1985
Wholesale sales exceed one billion dollars
[1]Ace surpassed one billion dollars in wholesale sales.
- 1973
Retailer ownership established
[1]Following Richard Hesse’s retirement, Ace was sold to its retailers and became a retailer-owned cooperative.
- 1963
First international store
[1]Ace opened its first international location in Guam.
Products and positioning
A community-oriented hardware and home-improvement cooperative emphasizing convenience, helpful advice, local ownership, and service supported by national purchasing and distribution scale.
Hardware retail
Hardware and home-improvement merchandise
The core assortment covers everyday repair and maintenance needs, including hand tools, power tools, fasteners, adhesives, plumbing supplies, electrical products, storage items, and related accessories. Exact selection varies by independently owned store, local market, and store format.
Paint and home maintenance · 2011
Paint and decorating supplies
Ace stores sell interior and exterior paints, coatings, applicators, preparation materials, and decorating supplies. Clark+Kensington became a notable Ace-associated paint line, with manufacturing arrangements changing over time.
Garden and outdoor
Lawn and garden products
This range includes gardening tools, lawn-care products, outdoor maintenance supplies, pest-control items, and seasonal merchandise. Store-level assortment is influenced by climate, season, and local customer demand.
Home services · 2020
Ace Handyman Services
A home-repair service network developed from the Handyman Matters acquisition. Its service personnel are described as full-time Craftsmen, and the network provides residential repair and maintenance services through franchise locations.
Home services · 2022
Ace Home Services
A broader service platform covering professional residential plumbing, heating, air-conditioning, electrical, and related services through acquisitions and operating partners.
Controversies
Marketing campaigns
- 2016Helpful associates advertising campaign
United States
Ace introduced commercials centered on store associates solving customers’ practical needs, often adapting the familiar jingle to the specific product or situation shown.
Outcome. The campaign reinforced service and product knowledge as brand differentiators.
- 2016Suntukan sa Ace Hardware
Philippines
A fictional Facebook event proposing a mass fistfight at an Ace store became a viral Filipino internet meme. Ace later acknowledged the joke and staged a harmless photo-op activity at the location instead of any real altercation.
Outcome. The incident became a social-media promotion rather than an actual confrontation.
- 1989Ace helpful hardware advertising
United States
Ace modified its long-running advertising jingle by replacing gender-specific wording with the more inclusive phrase “helpful hardware folks.”
Outcome. The revised wording became part of the brand’s continuing advertising identity.
Brand decisions
2024
Introduce the ELEVATE3 store conceptStrategyBackground
Ace explored new store formats and merchandising approaches for its independent retail network.
Action taken
The company unveiled ELEVATE3, an experimental format intended to elevate prominent brands and planned an initial rollout from January 2025.
Aftermath
Long-term results were not established in the available reference material.
2019
Acquire Handyman MattersM&ABackground
Ace identified demand for professional repair services as some younger consumers became less likely to perform home projects themselves.
Action taken
Ace acquired the Handyman Matters franchise network and transitioned it to Ace Handyman Services.
Aftermath
The service network expanded across the United States and became part of Ace’s broader home-services strategy.
2011
Launch Clark+Kensington paintProduct launchBackground
Ace sought to strengthen its paint and decorating category with a premium private-label offering.
Action taken
Ace introduced the Clark+Kensington paint line.
Aftermath
Production arrangements later involved Valspar and Benjamin Moore.
1973
Convert Ace to a retailer-owned cooperativeStrategyBackground
After the retirement of longtime president Richard Hesse, Ace’s ownership structure was reconsidered.
Action taken
The company was sold to its retailers, which became the exclusive shareholders while Ace continued supplying wholesale, distribution, and support services.
Aftermath
The cooperative structure became the foundation of Ace’s modern business model and enabled independent stores to share national scale.
Recent events
Ace Hardware opens its first store in Mexico[3]
Reported:
Ace Hardware opened its first store in Mexico, in Monterrey, under its new turnkey franchise model. The company also announced a plan to open 13 additional stores by the end of 2022.
Ace Hardware offers year-end promotions in Indonesia[4]
Reported:
Ace Hardware offered its Lively Year-End promotion in Indonesia, with discounts including 15 percent off grill products and up to 70 percent off luggage and travel bags. The promotion ran through December 25, 2019.
Sources4 sources
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