#MyLocalAce – “We loved the smell of the store!”
In celebration of reaching 5,000 Ace stores across the globe, we’ll be sharing short stories from local Ace stores from around the world. Have a story you would like to share about your Ace? We want to hear it! Tell us your story using the hashtag #mylocalace on social media.
From cashier to stocking shelves,
Lauren Arterburn is learning what it’s like to run a hardware store. She’s also had the luxury of knowing her teachers her whole life, she calls them “Mom” and “Dad.”
Lauren has fond memories of when her family signed the papers for their Ace store. “My little sister and I were very excited that they were opening a hardware store because we loved the smell of them. I remember walking into the building that would eventually become the store, and thinking how different it would look. I was only 10 at the time and I remember thinking that my parents were going to be busy in the years to come,” recollected Lauren.
Years have passed and the fondness for the store still remains for Lauren. “Now, here I am working at the store that I plan to take over one day. I love helping people. I enjoy the task of helping customers find a solution, and in the process of doing that it makes them happy. The grumpiest customers are seen as challenges to me, and I try to figure out ways to make them leave the store in a better attitude than they arrived with.”
Lauren is excited to keep her family business going. “My parents have worked so incredibly hard over the years, I want to continue the tradition, and be as successful as they are. My parents’ advice to me for taking over the store is to learn every aspect of the business: from knowing how to cut keys, to understanding the financial side of things. If I understand all of the processes and procedures, then the big picture will make sense.” - Lauren Arterburn – Pinnacle Peak Ace Hardware in Scottsdale, Arizona
