Oak Brook, Ill.,
21
March
2017
|
07:30 AM
America/Chicago

Ace Hardware honors its 2016 Vendors of the Year

Ace Hardware Corporation, the world’s largest hardware cooperative, is pleased to announce its annual Vendor of the Year award honorees. This year, Ace recognized 10 vendors with the esteemed award.

New this year, Ace has expanded the scope of its Vendor of the Year recognition program to align with the pillars of 20/20 Vision, the company’s long-term retail growth strategy. Vendors were selected based on their demonstrative and measurable efforts to help Ace invest in the brand, fulfill its helpful promise, enrich its merchandising assortment and support its B2B efforts through The Supply Place.

In addition, Ace identified vendors who have delivered exceptional service to its subsidiaries, Ace Retail Holdings (Westlake Ace Hardware), Ace International Holdings and Ace Wholesale Holdings (Emery Jensen Distribution). As in previous years, Ace has continued its tradition of also recognizing a vendor who delivered outstanding sustainability efforts, and also a vendor whose generosity helped advance the work of the Ace Hardware Foundation.

“We are privileged to work with such an outstanding community of vendors who bring unparalleled discipline and execution to the Ace team,” said Frank Carroll, Vice President of Merchandising, Ace Hardware Corporation. “This year’s Vendor of the Year honorees delivered world class service and assortment differentiation to Ace, allowing us to further advance our vision of being the most helpful hardware stores on the planet with the best brands.”

The following 10 vendors were honored at a special ceremony held at the Ace Hardware Spring Convention and Exhibits in Atlanta.

 

Apex Tools (Sparks, Md.) – Vendor of the Year

Apex Tool Group, LLC is one of the largest worldwide producers of industrial hand and power tools, tool storage, drill chucks, chain, and electronic soldering products.

 

Gardner Bender (Menomonee Falls, Wis.) – Vendor of the Year

Gardner Bender is a leading manufacturer of electrical tools, voltage testers, wire management products, and professional large powered equipment.

 

For Life Products – Rejuvenate (Miramar, Fla.) – Vendor of the Year

For Life Products manufactures and markets innovative, practical home surface and floor care products designed to improve the quality of everyday life. The Rejuvenate brand enables consumers to get professional-quality results and like-new showroom finishes for their homes.

 

Gorilla Glue (Cincinnati, Ohio) – Vendor of the Year

The Gorilla Glue Company is a leading manufacturer of adhesive solutions for DIYers, woodworkers and professionals. The company revamped the retail adhesive landscape with its introduction of Gorilla Glue, a unique, all-purpose adhesive with the ability to bond almost any material including wood, ceramic, stone, metal and more.

 

Traeger Grills (Wilsonville, Oregon) – Vendor of the Year

Traeger Pellet Grills, is a designer, manufacturer and marketer of wood pellet grills, wood pellets, sauces & spices, and grilling accessories. Known for its ease of use, versatility and great tasting wood-fired cooking, Traeger is America's leading alternative outdoor grill.

 

3M (St. Paul, Minn.) – Westlake Ace Hardware Vendor of the Year

3M is a global innovation company recognized for diversified technology and applying creativity and ingenuity to improve people’s lives.

 

Vanco (Batavia, Ill.) – International Vendor of the Year

Vanco International is an innovative supplier of electronic accessories to the home theater, low voltage, and electronic distributor markets. Vanco is committed to providing leading edge electronic accessories that advance connectivity and embrace the digital information evolution.

 

Freud Tools (High Point, N.C.) – Emery Jensen Distribution Vendor of the Year

Freud is a manufacturer of high quality woodworking tools and a leader in the carbide cutting tool industry. Freud is the only manufacturer of woodworking tools in the world that produces its own MicroGrain Carbide with Titanium, called TiCo(TM) Hi-Density carbide.

 

Westinghouse (Philadelphia) – Sustainability Vendor of the Year

Westinghouse Lighting is a family-owned business driven by the power of an American brand – Westinghouse. There is no other company like Westinghouse Lighting that carries a full line of light bulbs, lighting fixtures, ceiling fans and lighting accessories with such a well-known and trusted brand.

 

Milwaukee Tools (Milwaukee, Wisconsin) – Ace Foundation Vendor of the Year

Milwaukee Tool has led the industry in both durability and performance by providing the best in professional, heavy-duty tools and accessories. With an unwavering commitment to the trades, Milwaukee continues to lead with a focus on providing innovative, trade-specific solutions.


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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 2016, Ace ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retail Stores, Ten Years in a Row," according to J.D. Power. With more than 5,000 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 17 distribution centers in the U.S. and also have distribution capabilities in Ningbo, China; Colon, 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 acehardware.com or visit our newsroom at newsroom.acehardware.com.