By LINDA CHION KENNEY
Moments after the ribbon was cut for the 100th anniversary of Ace Hardware stores, celebrated locally and worldwide, folks in Riverview took a moment to celebrate a man who has worked for Ace for 50 years.
“Customers come in asking for John Rice by name all the time,” said Tim Gibson, co-owner of Ace Hardware of Sun City in Wimuama, Ace Hardware of Big Bend in Riverview and Crossroads Ace Hardware in Lithia. “John is a legend in the community.”
John Rice, with his Gold Hammer Award, marks 50 years of “dedicated service to the hardware industry.” Rice works at Ace Hardware of Sun City in Wimauma.
And that’s what Ace really is all about, locals serving locals, Gibson said, in an interview after the ribbon-cutting at 13364 Lincoln Road, with the Central Hillsborough County Chamber of Commerce, formerly known as the Greater Riverview Chamber of Commerce.
“It boils down to the people,” Gibson said. “You’ve got to take care of your employees and take care of your customers. If you do that, everything else falls into place, hopefully.”
So far, so good, said Howell Hunt, with Ace for 10 years and now handling commercial accounts for Gibson’s three Ace Hardware locations, which specializes in hardware, feed, pet and commercial offerings, as well as paint, grills and more. “I wanted to work local and be able to help my neighbors,” Howell said.
He acknowledged the significant role of people in the trades, who build and fix things in their own spheres of influence, at home and at work with their customers. “I have saved so much money in my lifetime by working to fix my own things and exploring [do-it-yourself projects],” Howell said. “It’s easier today, with YouTube, than it ever has been.”
The entrance to Ace Hardware, off Big Bend in Riverview, at 13364 Lincoln Road
Much has changed in tool types and technology, yet the founding premise remains the same for the company founded as Ace Stores in 1924. According to company officials, it was the brainchild of four “local and loyal” hardware store owners, who combined their efforts seeking to boost buying power and profits.
Standing now in testament to the four legendary founders — Richard Hesse, E. Gunnard Lindquist, Frank Burke and Oscar Fisher — is Ace Hardware, with more than 5,800 stores worldwide, the majority of which are independently owned and operated by local entrepreneurs.
The group includes Gibson, who with his brother-in-law left their respective jobs, working with computers and cars, to open their first Ace Hardware store, in Lithia, in 2003. Two years later, they opened Ace Hardware in Riverview, and in 2015 they bought Ace Hardware in Sun City, onboarding just about every one of the local and loyal employees.
Gibson is now co-owner of the three Ace locations with Joe Rush and Drew Atkinson, the son of Gibson’s brother-in-law, William Atkinson.
With a century of business on the books, Ace Stores has weathered wars, the Great Depression, the Great Recession, inflation, the pandemic and more.
Linda Chion Kenney photos
From left, Joe Rush, Howell Hunt, John Rice and Tim Gibson, with some of the attendees at the Ace Hardware ribbon-cutting in Riverview, marking the company’s 100-year anniversary
“That was one of the attractions to the hardware business, that it’s somewhat recession resistant,” Gibson said. “Everyone needs hardware, like they need groceries. They’re always fixing stuff around the house. Especially during COVID, that was huge. People were staying home and they were making the house nice. It was a rough time, but it was good for business.”
Good for business as well is the longevity of knowledgeable and respected employees, one of whom now holds the golden hammer. Much has changed for Rice since he landed his first hardware job at age 16, eventually going to work with Ace, after John Smith, who taught Sunday School with Rice at the Church of God in Ruskin, said, “Why don’t you quit and come work for me?”
Much has changed over the decades, including the advent of battery-powered tools and the replacement of hand-written orders with a mobile-based order entry system. One thing that hasn’t changed is the wisdom Rice has attained, and shares openly with others.
“He knows 100 times more than I know,” Gibson said. Indeed, Hunt added, “if your iron from 1927 is broken, John’s probably got a piece for it.”
Except for a two-year break during the Great Recession, Rice has made it his business to take care of business at Ace Hardware. “They instill in you all the time to wait on the customer and make sure that you can help them as much as you can,” Rice said, “and it works.”