ACE Hardware Evolves
Paul McGivern, owner, Skokie Ace Hardware and IMODS board member

Founded in 1928 by several Chicago area hardware store owners, the Ace Hardware Corporation was formed so that the company could purchase hardware items in bulk and then allow member dealers to buy only as much as they needed at a lower cost. This
business model worked so well that several other hardware co-ops soon formed. These include Service Star, True Value and others. hardware stores dotted the land and became and integral part of each community they served.

All that changed in June of 1979 when two men from Atlanta decided to fill a warehouse to the rafters with everything a person might need to build or remodel a home. Home Depot was born and things would never be the same.

Big box, mega hardware stores started popping up everywhere and thousands of mom and pop hardware stores across the country were driven out of business. They built store after store in community after community.

The retail landscape had changed forever and the Ace Hardware Corporation recognized that it too must change or watch as its dealers slowly fade away. The most profound change was the formation of dealer groups. Like the name implies, a dealer group is made up of a group of dealers (store owners) in a specific region. Dealer groups meet regularly and work together to share ideas and solve common problems. Although this sounds pretty simple, remember that store owners have always considered other store owners as direct competitors, sometimes even enemies. It has taken many years to get to the point where we can trust each other and open up our businesses to each other.

Working together, we successfully defend our share of the home improvement market. We are Ace Hardware and we thrive in a market dominated by the big boxes! In 2006 sales growth at Ace Hardware beat Home Depot, Lowe's and Menards. And did you know that for the past several years a new Ace Hardware store opens every 48 hours?

Working together toward a common goal is also the mission of IMODS. Together we can build downtown Skokie into a destination for people who want to have fun and businesses that want to succeed. We have made great progress so far and we have a long way to go. Get on board, come to a meeting and see how we are making a difference in our community!

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