Ace Hardware Opens Its Doors On Queen Street

Ace Hardware of Newtown opened its doors August 26 at 5 Queen Street in a 10,000-square-foot space previously occupied by Brooks Pharmacy in Eton Center next to the new Caraluzzi’s grocery store.

The Ace store opening was announced by owners Ed and Dorothy Pitochelli. “Ace Hardware is committed to providing home improvement solutions, helpful advice and resources to residents in Newtown,” said Dorothy Pitochelli. “We’re excited to be part of the community, and we look forward to making a positive impact for many years to come.”

The store is open Monday through Friday from 7 am to 7 pm. Weekend hours are Saturday, 8 am to 6 pm, and Sunday, 8 am to 3 pm.

Ms Pitochelli said the store will bring helpful customer service and quality home improvement products to area homeowners and do-it-yourselfers. She said Ace Hardware provides solutions to everyday home improvement needs through an extensive selection of products in categories such as paint and lawn and garden. In addition, the on-staff “helpful hardware folks” will ease the shopping experience by offering one-on-one expert advice and assistance.

“We’ve identified a strong need for a full-service, neighborhood format store in this area, and this location is attractive and offers tremendous potential,” said Ms Pitochelli. “Our store’s mission is to be the community’s best-in-class merchant of convenience hardware and niche products and services,” adding “besides providing an attractive, well-stocked, well-merchandised DIY shopping experience, we want our store and our employees to be actively involved in the communities that we serve”.

Dorothy and Ed Pitochelli have been longtime residents of East Hampton and have recently relocated closer to Newtown. Both owners know the area well and have solid business backgrounds. They have hired Ron Wilber as the store manager. Mr Wilber has extensive retail experience and is very familiar with Newtown and the customer’s needs. The store employs 12 local residents. The Pitochelli’s noted that during the construction the store employed more than 30 people who all used local hotels, restaurants and shops.

The space was completely remodeled and opened for business August 26. A grand opening weekend event will be scheduled for early fall, and will heavily promote the date as it approaches.

ACE Hardware of Newtown will carry the broad line of core hardware merchandise, ranging from lawn and garden, housewares, power tools, electrical and plumbing. In addition, the store will carry Ace Royal paint rated one of the top paints in the country. The store will also provide services, including screen repair, glass cutting and key duplication. With all that, Dorothy, Ed and Ron say they are eager to hear suggestions from local consumers as to products and services they would like offered.

In its 80-year history, Ace Hardware has been known as “the helpful hardware store” by both customers and communities. In 2007 and 2008, Ace Hardware was ranked the “Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Major Home Improvement Retail Stores” by J.D. Power and Associates in its inaugural study of the retail home improvement industry.

With 4,600 hardware, home center and building materials stores that generate annual retail sales of more than $12 billion, Ace is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the industry.

Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace currently operates 14 distribution centers in the United States and a warehouse in Shanghai, China, and its retailers’ stores are located in all 50 states and 60 countries. More information about Ace can be found at www.acehardware.com.