BLACKHAWK ACE HARDWARE RECOGNIZED
AS ONE OF THE COOLEST HARDWARE STORES ON THE PLANET
Ace Hardware Corporation Recognizes Local Store for Customized Service
CHARLOTTE, N.C., September 15, 2011 – At the recent Ace Platinum Conference held in Las Vegas for the top five percent of Ace store owners, Blackhawk Hardware was recognized as one of the four coolest hardware stores among the co-op’s 4,500 stores.
The award was to recognize the most unique stores in the Ace family. Kane Calamari, VP of Retail Operations for Ace, said, “In an era where “cookie cutter” is a term used to describe so much retail, independently-owned Ace stores represent some of the most unique shopping experiences in the marketplace.”
This was the first year for the award. The four winners were selected from among the entire Ace family of stores worldwide.
Blackhawk Ace offers more than the typical hardware store. The in-store Blackhawk wood shop is staffed with craftsmen that handle small wood projects, a service not offered elsewhere in Charlotte. Beyond that, the store also features a garden department stocked with unique plants selected by the garden center manager on regular trips to the Pacific Northwest. Customers won’t easily find these niche plants that thrive in Charlotte anywhere else in the city.
Blackhawk was selected for its breadth and depth of inventory throughout all departments with special emphasis on the garden center, cabinet hardware, housewares, grilling, and birding departments. An example of this is Blackhawk’s mind-boggling cabinet knob display, which has over 7,000 samples for customers to choose from.
Award recipients were invited to take part in a three-day retail symposium in August for Ace’s annual Platinum Conference. During the conference, Blackhawk Hardware was honored with a trophy identifying the store as “Coolest Hardware Store.” Jim Wilkerson, President, and Andy Wilkerson, Director of Marketing, accepted the award on behalf of Blackhawk’s eighty associates.
Across the board, Ace Hardware stores are known for their excellent customer service and helpfulness. In 2011, the J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Home Improvement Retailer Store Satisfaction StudySM again ranked Ace Hardware “Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retail Stores, Five Years in a Row.” Ace has held this position since the organization began researching the home improvement category five years ago. Blackhawk Ace’s satisfaction numbers are even more impressive, with their average consistently scoring 6% higher than Ace’s average.
For more information about Blackhawk Hardware, located at 4225 Park Road or visit www.blackhawkhardware.com.
# # #
About Blackhawk Hardware
Blackhawk Hardware has been family owned and operated in the Park Road Shopping Center since 1977.
