Ace Hardware Launches Its Nationwide J.D. Power Award Neighborhood Tour

OAK BROOK, IL--(Marketwired - Jan 28, 2014) - Ace Hardware, the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the industry, is proud to kick off its inaugural J.D. Power Award Neighborhood Tour this month. Designed to celebrate Ace Hardware ranking "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retail Stores" in the J.D. Power 2013 Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction Study(SM) for the seventh year in a row, the tour showcases all seven J.D. Power trophies at neighborhood Ace Hardware stores across the country. The tour spans 17 weeks, with the trophies making stops at more than 100 stores in 24 states, covering over 15,000 miles in a single branded truck. 

Each individually owned and operated Ace Hardware store is committed to ensuring exceptional customer satisfaction in the communities they serve. Ace's J.D. Power Award Neighborhood Tour recognizes that commitment to providing a more personal kind of helpful and celebrates the Ace retailers who embody this brand promise every day.

"We believe we are blessed to be in the business of serving others," said John Venhuizen, President and CEO, Ace Hardware Corporation. "Receiving this award from our customers seven years in a row is an absolute honor and makes us even more determined to provide our neighbors with amazing customer service and satisfaction."

Each event throughout the tour features the opportunity to take a photo with the prestigious trophies, as well as offers customers various in-store promotions and incentives in appreciation for their continued support of locally owned businesses like Ace Hardware.

"We're committed to delivering a more personal kind of helpful to our neighborhood customers each and every day," said Lou Manfredini, Ace Hardware store owner and Ace Hardware's Home Expert. "Our J.D. Power Award Neighborhood Tour gives us the opportunity to thank our customers for rating Ace Hardware 'Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retail Stores, Seven Years in a Row.'"

Upcoming Ace Hardware J.D. Power Neighborhood Tour dates:

Friday, January 31 - Fort Meyers, FL - Sunshine Ace Hardware - 9 a.m-1 p.m.
Friday, January 31 - Bonita Springs, FL - Sunshine Ace Hardware - 3-7 p.m.
Saturday, February 1 - Naples, FL - Sunshine Ace Hardware/Tamiami Trl N - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Saturday, February 1 - Naples, FL - Sunshine Ace Hardware/Collier Blvd - 3-7 p.m.
Sunday, February 2 - Naples, FL - Sunshine Ace Hardware/Rattlesnake Hammock Rd - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Monday, February 3 - Marco Island, FL - Sunshine Ace Hardware - 9 a.m-1 p.m.
Wednesday, February 5 - Gatlinburg, TN - Trentham's Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Saturday, February 8 - Yazoo City, MS - Delta Ace - 12-4 p.m.
Monday, February 10 - Napoleonville, LA - Dan Boudreaux's Ace Hardware & Lumber - 12-4 p.m.
Wednesday, February 12 - Kingwood, TX - Alspaugh Ace - 3-7 p.m.
Thursday, February 13 - Humble, TX - Atascocita Hardware - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Friday, February 14 - Houston, TX - Gateway Ace Hardware - 3-7 p.m.
Sunday, February 16 - Houston, TX - Central Ace Hardware - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Sunday, February 16 - Houston, TX - Central Ace Hardware - 2-6 p.m.
 Monday, February 17 - Pearland, TX - Pearland Ace Hardware - 2-6 p.m.
Monday, February 17 - Friendswood, TX - Magnuson Ace Hardware - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Tuesday, February 18- Houston, TX - Chamberlin Ace Hardware- 3-7 p.m.
Wednesday, February 19 - Rosenberg, TX - Central Ace Hardware - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Sunday, February 23 - Houston, TX - Cypress Ace - 12-4 p.m.
Mon/Tues/Wed, February 24-26 - Houston, TX - Ace Hardware Spring 2014 Convention 
Thursday, February 27 - Cypress, TX- Langham Creek Ace Hardware - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Thursday, February 27 - Cypress, TX- Central Ace Hardware - 3-7 p.m.
Friday, February 28 - Spring, TX - Ace Hardware of Champions - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Saturday, March 1 - The Woodlands, TX - Alspaugh's Ace Hardware - 2-6 p.m.
Saturday, March 1 - Spring, TX - Lone Star Ace - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Thursday, March 6 - Manhattan, KS - Midwest Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Saturday, March 8 - Denver, CO - Ace on the Fax - 12-4 p.m.
Sunday, March 9 - Denver, CO - Ace Hardware Cherry Creek - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Sunday, March 9 - Denver, CO - Ace Hardware Alameda Station - 3-7 p.m.
Thursday, March 13 - Fountain Hills, AZ - Paul's Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Friday, March 14 - Gilbert, AZ -Paul's Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Saturday, March 15 - Scottsdale, AZ -Paul's Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Sunday, March 16 - Scottsdale, AZ - Paul's Ace Hardware- 9 a.m.-12 p.m.
Sunday, March 16 - Tempe AZ - Paul's Ace Hardware - 1-5 p.m.
Wednesday, March 19 - Nipomo, CA - Miners Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Thursday, March 20 - Arroyo Grande, CA - Miners Ace Hardware/Station Way - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Thursday, March 20 - Grover Beach, CA - Miners Ace Hardware/West Grand Way - 2-6 p.m.
Friday, March 21 - San Luis Obispo, CA - Miners Ace Hardware/W Grand Ave - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Friday, March 21 - Los Osos, CA - Miners Ace Hardware/Santa Barbara - 2-6 p.m.
Saturday, March 22 - Morro Bay, CA - Miners Ace Hardware/Los Osos Valley Road - 12-4 p.m.
Sunday, March 23 - Atascadero, CA - Miners Ace Hardware/ Atascadero - 12-4 p.m.
Tuesday, March 25 - Salinas, CA - Salinas Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26 - Hollister, CA - Hollister Ace Hardware - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Wednesday, March 26 - Morgan Hill, CA - Johnson Lumber Co - 3-7 p.m.
Thursday, March 27 - Stockton, CA - Freemont Plaza Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Friday, March 28 - Benicia, CA - Pedrotti Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Saturday, March 29 - Novato, CA - Pini Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Sunday, March 30 - Ukiah, CA - Mendo Mill & Lumber - 12-4 p.m.
Tuesday, April 1 - Fallon, NV - Louie's Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Thursday, April 3 - Ashland, OR - Ashland General Hardware - 10-2 p.m.
Friday, April 4 - Newberg, OR - North Valley Supply - 12-4 p.m.
Saturday, April 5 - Vancouver, WA - Filbin's Ace Hardware - 10-2 p.m.
Sunday, April 6 - Hermiston, OR - Smitty's Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Tuesday, April 8 - Gig Harbor, WA - Gig Harbor Ace Hardware/Judson St - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Tuesday, April 8 - Gig Harbor, WA - Gig Harbor Ace Hardware/Point Fosdick Dr NW - 3-7 p.m.
Wednesday, April 9 - Bainbridge Island, WA - Bainbridge Island Ace Hardware - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Wednesday, April 9 - Lake Stevens, WA - Ace Hardware - 3-7 p.m.
Thursday, April 10 - Sultan, WA - Sultan Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Friday, April 11 - East Wenatchee, WA - Grant Road Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Saturday, April 12 - Quincy, WA - AG Supply Ace Hardware - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Saturday, April 12 - Ephrata, WA - Ephrata Ace Hardware - 3-7 p.m.
Sunday, April 13 - Brewster, WA - Brewster Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Monday, April 14 - Chewelah, WA - Sety Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Wednesday, April 16 - Burley, ID - Ace Hardware Burley - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Wednesday, April 16 - Rupert, ID - Ace Hardware - 3-7 p.m.
Thursday, April 17 - Rexburg, ID - Dan's Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Friday, April 18 - Salmon, ID - Salmon Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Saturday, April 19 - Anaconda, MT - Ace Hardware - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Saturday, April 19 - Butte, MT - Ace Hardware - 2-6 p.m.
Monday, April 21 - Livingston, MT - Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Tuesday, April 22 - Laurel, MT - Laurel Ace Hardware - 1-5 p.m.
Wednesday, April 23 - Billings, MT - King's Ace Hardware/Central Ave - 9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Wednesday, April 23 - Billings, MT - King's Ace Hardware/State Ave - 3-7 p.m.
Thursday, April 24 - Billings, MT - King's Ace Hardware/Zimmerman Trail Rd - 12-4 p.m.
Saturday, April 26 - Sioux Falls, SD - Nyberg's Ace - 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Monday, April 28 - Moorhead, MN - Moorhead Ace - 12-4 p.m.
Tuesday, April 29 - Thief River Falls, MN - Ace Hardware - 12-4 p.m.
Wednesday, April 30 - Black River Falls, WI - Scholze Ace Home Center - 12-4 p.m.

Ace Hardware has earned the ranking of "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retail Stores" ever since J.D. Power began this study seven years ago. The study is based on responses from more than 4,100 consumers who purchased home improvement products or services in the previous 12 months. Ace Hardware ranked highest among major retailers with an overall satisfaction index score of 803 on a 1,000-point scale. The score is based on performance in five areas: merchandise, price, sales and promotions, staff and service, and store facility.

For more information on the J.D. Power Neighborhood Tour, please visit your participating neighborhood Ace Hardware.

About Ace Hardware
For 90 years, Ace Hardware has been known as the place with the helpful hardware folks in thousands of neighborhoods across America, providing customers with a more personal kind of helpful. In 2013, Ace ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retail Stores, Seven Years in a Row" according to J.D. Power. With more than 4,800 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 also have distribution capabilities in Shanghai, China; Panama City, Panama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Its retailers' stores are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and approximately 60 countries. For more information on Ace, visit www.acehardware.com.

Disclaimer: Ace Hardware received the highest numerical score among retail stores in the proprietary J.D. Power & Associates 2007-2013 Home Improvement Retail Store Studies(SM). 2013 study based on responses from 4,129 consumers measuring six stores and opinions of consumers who purchased a home improvement product or service within the previous 12 months. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed January-February 2013. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com