Two of the coolest and most helpful places in the world are in Alabama and Colorado, according a recent announcement by Ace Hardware.
Ace of the South, located on three acres in Gardendale, Ala., is one of two recipients of the Ace Hardware 2022 "Coolest Hardware Store" awards, the company announced on March 7. The other recipient is an Ace Hardware in Westcliffe, Colo.
"To me, what makes this store cool is the uniqueness, from selling Patagonia to selling Big Green Egg to selling Traeger to selling all these key name brands," Ace of the South co-owner Britt Wood said in the announcement. "It's amazing the pull that we get into our store even outside of Gardendale just to find these items."
Ace of The South plans to build on its "cool" reputation by tripling its clothing offerings, expanding its garden center and adding more hunting, fishing and all-terrain vehicles to its inventory, according to the announcement.
Ace of the South brings to the Gardendale-area many of the same products and services found in Ace Hardware stores worldwide, but there's more to this particular location, co-owner Laura Wood said in the company's announcement.
"Ace of the South is really a cross between a hardware store and an outdoor store," Wood said. "We have everything you need as far as hardware, plumbing, electrical, paint. But we also have gardening. We also have sunglasses, apparel and great locally made gifts."
Customers often find what they're looking for at Ace of the South, something Wood said she loves.
"We love it when people come in and say, 'Ya'll have everything,'" she said.
The store celebrated its two-year anniversary earlier this month with special deals and some extra gratitude to the neighborhood.
"We are so thankful for our community and the love they have shown us for 2 years now!" Ace of the South said in a March 4 post on Facebook. "CHEERS to many more."
This is Ace Hardware's 11th year of recognizing its "coolest" stores worldwide. The honor highlights stores that offer something special in terms of services and culture that suits its local community.
Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace Hardware has been a neighborhood staple in thousands of communities throughout the United States and throughout the world for about 90 years. Ace Hardware is the largest hardware cooperative in the industry, with more than 5,500 stores locally owned and operated across the globe, including all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, as well as in about 60 countries. Ace and its subsidiaries operate out of 14 distribution centers in the U.S. and also distribute in Shanghai and Panama City, in addition to Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
In 2014, Ace Hardware was ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retail Stores, Eight Years in a Row" by J.D. Power.
Ace Hardware has 751 stores across the nation, an increase of 104 stores, according to its annual earnings report released earlier this year. Worldwide, there are 5,583 Ace Hardware stores, according to the release.