WAYNE – More chairs and tables were brought out as the community showed up in full force interested and wanting to know more information about an Ace Hardware & Home store coming to Wayne in the spring of 2020.
The office of Wayne Area Economic Development hosted the Ace Community Meeting on behalf of the Ace Investors from the Wayne Fire Hall as Stephanie Liska facilitated the night.
CEO of Sand Creek Post & Beam in Wayne, Steve LeGrand has owned an Ace store in Blair the past three years and was one of the investors in attendance Wednesday night. LeGrand said the turnout was great.
“Exciting,” said LeGrand. “People want to participate and it just shows the sort of involvement that the community is going to have in the opening of an Ace Hardware & Home Store; very exciting.”
The Blair location has earned Pinnacle Performance the past three years which is the highest level of achievement they could receive. Ace prides themselves on convenience, service and quality.
Photos of other midwest Ace stores in Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado and Iowa were showcased.
After Ace Investors introduced themselves, each table was grouped together discussing good customer service and bad customers service as well as product ideas before a question and answer session closed out the evening in under two hours.
Along with the hardware product that Ace offers, home goods will be offered.
“So, it’s not just necessarily just about the product it’s also about getting the actually brand that they want as well because if we do that and we do it well people will come to the store because we’ll have what they want,” LeGrand added. “And on top of that the community was involved in the process of getting that here.”
The old Shopko location at 615 Dearborn Street is approximately 27,600 square feet as it was brought up during the meeting that six other Shopko locations which closed in Nebraska and South Dakota are converting into Ace stores.
Ace Investors are looking for a mid to late spring 2020 open.
“Even on opening day if we don’t have everything perfectly nailed down,” LeGrand mentioned. “Keep talking to us because we’ll make adjustments as we go. It takes usually three or four years for you to sort of nail the product line exact with what you need.”
For those who weren’t able to attend the meeting can contact the chamber office at 402-375-2240. Along with LeGrand, other Ace Investors who were at the meeting included Mike McManigal, BJ Woehler, Wes Blecke and Chris Woehler.