The building is new. (As in, brand spanking new – I watched the three tall red letters get aligned correctly and mounted on the store’s front this week.)
The company is new to Travelers Rest.
But the family creating the Ace Hardware on State Park Road is anything but new.
The Paul family has been living in Travelers Rest for nearly two decades. Greg and his wife have raised their two children here. Their daughter is a teacher and their son, Jeremy, is on staff with the company. He has a Master’s Degree from North Greenville University.
The Ace Hardware in Hendersonville is owned by the same family and you can expect the new TR store to be just as friendly and engaging as their North Carolina store.
When I stopped by this week to get a sneak peek, the father and dad duo were hard at work, stocking shelves and guiding employees, placing out the rakes (which you might just need this week for all your leaves) and getting stuff done! Even though the countdown was literally on for the doors to open to welcome all of us, the crew inside was calm and happy and diligently accomplishing their tasks. Jokes were being made, floors were being swept and the general vibe was one of competency and kindness.
Jeremy, a new TR homeowner himself, stopped at the check out counter to chat with me. First, we talked about the beauty of Travelers Rest and his excitement about his new house. “From my back door I can see the Blue Ridge Mountains and from my front I get to see Paris Mountain,” he said, an easy smile lighting up his face.
Along with his Masters in Business from NGU, he’s a trained Stihl technician. (And did you know, because I did not, that Stihl only works with stores that are able to both carry their product AND repair their product and they are only available at a Stihl store or an Ace Hardware exclusively?) What does this mean for you? Well, it means that you can bring in your Stihl power equipment – chainsaw, blower, trimmer – and have it repaired right inside the doors of Ace Hardware. You can also purchase new Stihl equipment at Ace too.
Another convenient service that Ace offers is key making. Yes – the traditional keys to your home, but also those pesky fob keys that you usually have to find a dealer to create for you. Those can be programmed right at the counter!
Ace has literally just about everything you need for your home and lawn and repairs and more – but some highlights we think you’ll especially love are their giant selection of bird seed and feeders for you local ornithologists and the wide variety and styles of grills, solo stoves, and grilling accessories. Plus, they’ll assemble and deliver your grill for free – you can’t beat that! We saw hints of Christmas decorations so now you know where to pick up your lights and wreaths too. It’s a great place to purchase your paint as well – Benjamin Moore is a solid choice!
You’ll be able to buy plants in the spring – frequently purchased from local suppliers. In fact, often Ace products are supplied locally. There were locally handmade wooden bird houses on the shelves.
At this point Greg came up and joined us, helping an employee find the pegs to finish out a few shelving items. “We’re thrilled to be local, to be right here in our hometown,” Greg shared. There’s nothing big box about Ace Hardware and Greg is really proud of how his business gives right back to the community in a host of ways.
The Grand Opening is happening next week and all week there will be specially priced items and events taking place at the store. On Saturday October 29, you can enjoy a cook out at Ace Hardware too. This has been a labor of love for the entire family – the land was purchased four years ago with the plan to bring Ace right here. (In the future, there will also be a small series of businesses located by the Ace parking lot – those are still available for leasing.)
You probably all know the Ace slogan by now – Ace is the place with the helpful hardware folks.
And I’ll tell you what, I met a couple of those helpful folks for this story and I think this store is going to be a real benefit and service to our town.
