Whether in need of a carpenter or unique plants for the garden, residents of Charlotte can find everything they are looking for at Blackhawk Ace Hardware. For offering these unique services and more, Ace Hardware Corporation has recognized the store with a 2011 “Coolest Hardware Store” award. Of 4,500 locally-owned and operated Ace Hardware stores worldwide, Blackhawk Ace Hardware is one of just four stores honored with the 2011 award.
“With our diverse products and services, we aim to surprise our customers every time they walk in the store,” said Jim Wilkerson, owner of Blackhawk Ace Hardware. “Our customers have come to know us not only as a hardware store, but a gift shop, garden shop, wood shop and much more. They never know what they’ll find when they stop in.”
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.
In addition to these services, the store provides endless product options for home renovation projects, like the cabinet hardware department that features more than 7,000 cabinet knobs. To round out the store’s vast selection, the staff operates under the motto that they “sell time just as much as they sell hardware.” Staff members help customers find what they need so that they can complete their project and get back to enjoying the things that matter most.
“We applaud Blackhawk Ace Hardware’s owners and staff for their commitment to helpful service in the community,” said Kane Calamari, vice president of retail operations and new business at Ace Hardware Corporation. “Our co-op business model lends itself to stores that can differentiate themselves based on the community they’re in. We are proud that Blackhawk has made a strong effort to provide its customers with products that fit their way of life.”
Local award recipients were invited to take part in a three-day retail symposium in August for Ace’s annual Platinum Conference, which brings together Ace’s top-performing retailers from around the country. During the conference, Blackhawk Ace Hardware was honored with a trophy identifying the store as a “Coolest Hardware Store.”
Across the board, Ace Hardware stores are known for their excellent customer satisfaction 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.” For more details on the award, please visit: http://ourcompany.acehardware.com/news/general/20110603.pdf.
For more information about Blackhawk Ace Hardware, located at 4225 Park Road, visit www.blackhawkhardware.com.
About Ace Hardware
For more than 85 years, Ace Hardware has been known as the helpful hardware store in thousands of communities across America. Customers depend on Ace to help them take care of their homes quickly and easily so they can get on with their lives. In 2011, Ace ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Home Improvement Stores for the Fifth Consecutive Year,” according to J.D. Power and Associates. With 4,500 locally owned and operated hardware stores, Ace is the largest hardware cooperative in the industry. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace currently operates 14 distribution centers in the U.S. It also has distribution capabilities in Shanghai, China; Panama City, Panama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Its retailers’ stores are located in all 50 states and more than 60 countries. For more information on Ace, visitwww.acehardware.com. J. D. Power and Associates Disclaimer
Ace Hardware received the highest numerical score among retail stores in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2007-2011 Home Improvement Retail Store StudiesSM. 2011 based on responses from 6,985 consumers measuring 7 stores and opinions of consumers who purchased a home improvement product or service within the previous 12 months. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed March-April 2011. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com. 
For more than 85 years, Ace Hardware has been known as the helpful hardware store in thousands of communities across America. Customers depend on Ace to help them take care of their homes quickly and easily so they can get on with their lives. In 2011, Ace ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Home Improvement Stores for the Fifth Consecutive Year,” according to J.D. Power and Associates. With 4,500 locally owned and operated hardware stores, Ace is the largest hardware cooperative in the industry. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace currently operates 14 distribution centers in the U.S. It also has distribution capabilities in Shanghai, China; Panama City, Panama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Its retailers’ stores are located in all 50 states and more than 60 countries. For more information on Ace, visitwww.acehardware.com. J. D. Power and Associates Disclaimer
Ace Hardware received the highest numerical score among retail stores in the proprietary J.D. Power and Associates 2007-2011 Home Improvement Retail Store StudiesSM. 2011 based on responses from 6,985 consumers measuring 7 stores and opinions of consumers who purchased a home improvement product or service within the previous 12 months. Proprietary study results are based on experiences and perceptions of consumers surveyed March-April 2011. Your experiences may vary. Visit jdpower.com.
