OAK BROOK, IL--(Marketwire - Apr 3, 2012) - This week, Ace Hardware and The Weather Channel® launch "Forecast Fix Up" -- an initiative that pairs Ace's home maintenance expertise with The Weather Channel's trusted local weather knowledge. Homeowners can now enter for a chance to win a $15,000 customized home maintenance makeover from Ace -- all aimed at helping homeowners across the country turn their to-do list into a to-done list.
With 4,600 locally-owned and independently operated stores, a large selection of nationally recognized brands and award-winning customer service, Ace understands the needs of its local communities and helps homeowners quickly and easily take care of their homes, no matter the weather condition. Ace's alliance with The Weather Channel provides homeowners with simple tips to complete their home maintenance tasks by offering the information and tools required to spruce up their homes each season. Whether homeowners need to apply a fresh coat of paint, keep a well-manicured lawn, transition to energy-efficient lighting or update their outdoor living space, "Forecast Fix Up" is designed to help homeowners update their homes properly, all with the help and expert advice of Ace's Home Expert, Lou Manfredini. Additionally, the campaign will include resources and advice for new homeowners that want to make their new house a home.
"People often put off routine home maintenance projects because they seem daunting and time consuming," said Manfredini. "Our collaboration with The Weather Channel not only offers us the opportunity to help one lucky winner update their home, but also provides all homeowners with easy home maintenance tips so they can take care of their homes quickly and get back to enjoying their weekends."
Starting yesterday, consumers are invited to submit photos and a 100-word description of their homes for a chance to win a spectacular home maintenance makeover. Nominations will be accepted until April 30 and official rules and details can be found online at www.weather.com/fixup, as well as a link to The Weather Channel's Facebook page where consumers can enter the contest. The nominations will be reviewed and judged after the contest closes. Visitors to the website can also view exclusive home maintenance videos hosted by Manfredini, as well as voting criteria and other submissions.
"Checking the weather is an important step when beginning any home maintenance project, which exemplifies the program between The Weather Channel and Ace," said Ann Brown, senior vice president, client solutions for The Weather Channel Companies. "Pairing our localized weather content with Ace's expert home maintenance advice delivers on our promise to help viewers live their best life outdoors and Ace's goal to be the neighborhood resource for homeowners' home maintenance needs."
Throughout April and into September, The Weather Channel will feature segments with Manfredini on popular home maintenance projects, such as interior painting, outdoor lawn care, energy efficiency, spring outdoor living, grill maintenance and moving into a new home. The winner's makeover will be revealed and featured in an extended programming block on The Weather Channel on May 25 and 26.
Ace takes pride in offering its customers some of the most respected brand names and best-selling items in the industry and will provide all of the materials for the makeover. For more details and official rules on "Forecast Fix Up" -- visit www.weather.com/fixup.
No purchase necessary. Open only to legal residents of the U.S. at least 18 years old who are homeowners in 1 of the 48 contiguous United States or D.C. as of 4/2/12. Void where prohibited. Grand Prize Winner must agree to appear in TV broadcast. Contest ends 11:59:59pm EST on 4/30/12. Sponsor: The Weather Channel LLC, 300 Interstate North Parkway S.E. Atlanta, GA 30339.
About Ace Hardware
For more than 85 years, Ace Hardware has been known as the helpful hardware store in thousands of communities across America. Customers depend on Ace to help them take care of their homes quickly and easily so they can get on with their lives. With over 4,600 hardware stores locally owned and operated across the globe, Ace is the largest hardware cooperative in the industry. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace and its subsidiaries currently operate 14 distribution centers in the U.S. and they also have distribution capabilities in Shanghai, China; Panama City, Panama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Its retailers' stores are located in all 50 states and approximately 60 countries. For more information on Ace, visit www.acehardware.com.
About The Weather Channel® Companies
The Weather Channel companies (TWCC) are made up of The Weather Channel® television network, The Weather Channel digital properties, and WSI. The Weather Channel is based in Atlanta and is seen in more than 100 million U.S. households. TWCC also operates Weatherscan®, a 24-hour all-local weather network; The Weather Channel Radio Network; and The Weather Channel HD. The most popular source of weather news and information, TWCC properties reach 60 million monthly Web consumers (weather.com and Desktop) and 32 million monthly mobile users (mobile Web and applications) and offers the second most popular mobile app on all smartphones. WSI, headquartered in Andover, MA, primarily provides business-to-business weather services, particularly for the media, aviation, marine and energy sectors. TWCC is owned by a consortium made up of NBC Universal and the private equity firms The Blackstone Group and Bain Capital. For more information, visit www.weather.com/press.