Ace Hardware Sponsors Professional Golfer, Hunter Mahan, in Retailer's First-Ever Athlete Sponsorship

OAK BROOK, IL--(Marketwired - Jan 7, 2015) - Ace Hardware, the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world, proudly announces a multi-year sponsorship with PGA TOUR star Hunter Mahan. The sponsorship marks the first time the 91-year-old company has sponsored an active professional athlete and secures Ace as Mahan's exclusive home improvement retailing sponsor.

Ace's sponsorship of Mahan will include his appearance in the brand's 2015 "Golf Swing Away" television advertising spot, which will begin airing in April to promote Ace's Free Store Pickup program also launching nationally that month at participating Ace stores. The spot will air on more than 30 cable networks including ESPN, USA, TLC and HGTV, as well as during select golf related broadcasts. Additionally, Mahan will wear the Ace logo on his golf apparel during professional competitions and tournaments throughout the duration of the sponsorship.

"Hunter is not only a stand out player on the TOUR, but a stand out person and family man as well. He matches the qualities of our brand and our retailers, so our partnership is a perfect fit," said Jeff Gooding, Senior Director, Consumer Marketing, Ace Hardware Corporation. "Forging a relationship with one of the world's top-ranked golf professionals will help Ace leverage the sport that our core customer is most invested in and will allow us to extend our award winning helpful brand promise to this important audience."

Mahan, a six-time winner on the PGA TOUR, claimed his first professional victory in 2007 at the Travelers Championship. He has been a member of four United States President's Cup teams and three United States Ryder Cup Teams. His most recent victory came this past August at The Barclay's when he captured the first event in the 2014 FedExCup Playoffs.

"I'm humbled by the opportunity to partner with Ace Hardware and represent their brand and stores each week on the PGA TOUR," said Mahan. "Growing up I always loved visiting my neighborhood Ace with my dad, and to this day, I'm still impressed with the helpful folks at Ace who put their customers first. I'm proud to be the newest member of their team."

For more information on Ace stop by your neighborhood Ace store or visit www.acehardware.com. For more information on Hunter Mahan visit www.mahangolf.com.

About Ace Hardware
For more than 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 2014, Ace ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retail Stores, Eight Years in a Row," according to J.D. Power. With more than 4,900 hardware stores locally owned and operated across the globe, Ace is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world. 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.