Ace Hardware gets to work in Chicago

Chicago -- At Ace Hardware's general session -- part state-of-the-business address, part pep-session -- executives celebrated overall business growth and laid out some plans for bigger, bolder and smarter investments in the brand.

Serving as the kickoff for the Aug. 20-22 Ace Fall Convention & Exhibits, the Thursday morning general session included plenty of performance-related statistics. John Surane, executive VP merchandising, marketing and sales for the Oak Brook, Ill.-based co-op, highlighted some positive trends over the last three years, among them: 514 new stores, wholesale sales up $1.2 billion and retail transactions up 4.6%.

"But are we satisfied?" Surane asked the audience of dealers assembled in the packed Arie Crown Theater of the McCormick Place Convention Center. "No way."

Surane and CEO John Venhuizen encouraged dealer members to keep up the pressure. "There are far too many enemies with far too much money to think we can coast," Venhuizen said.

"We live in a world where the stuff we sell is increasingly price transparent, and the people we sell to are increasingly price sensitive," Venhuizen added.

Along those lines, the co-op emphasized a need to make "bigger, bolder and smarter" investments in the brand. That includes more TV and digital exposure, deeper penetration of Ace Rewards in local markets, and an organized effort to increase margins on promotional items.

During a general session video, various merchandise managers promoted their highlights, including "farm and rural," -- a large and growing category in which poultry-related products have shown triple digit growth in the last five years -- pet supplies, cleaning supplies, and lawn and garden.

Also to kick off the convention, Ace presented its 2015 All Star Retailer award to Dan Olson of  Olson's Ace Hardware, Franklin Park, Illinois, in whose name $25,000 will be presented to the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago.

The ideas of leadership and community service figured prominently in Venhuizen's opening and closing remarks.

"Yes we keep score with money, but business is about people," he said. "A lucrative store enables you to be about something way bigger than just money."