Ace Hardware Is There for You

Face it: for many of us, the words “You’ll need to go to the hardware store” set us into a tailspin of anxiety. The idea of wandering aisles of pipes, tubes, and miscellaneous metal objects with no clue to what we are searching for is not our idea of a Saturday morning well spent.
And that’s precisely why we are so fortunate to have Ashland General Hardware (otherwise known as Ace Hardware) right downtown at 249 A Street. Even if you don’t know whether the tool you need is named Phillips or Allen, the knowledgeable, friendly folks at Ashland General Hardware do. And they’re happy to find it for you and explain how it works, without making you feel like a do-it-yourself dummy.
Phil and Marianne Emard bought Ashland General Hardware eight years ago, although it’s been an Ashland institution for decades. “To the best of our knowledge, since 1936,” says Phil.
The Emards, natives of Southern Oregon, say taking ownership of the hardware store was a good fit. Phil, who worked as an engineer for years, grew up on a ranch and hay farm where he learned to repair “everything from irrigation and fencing to farm implements.” He and Marianne built several homes from the ground up and remodeled several more.
But the Emards credit their store’s success to their experienced staff. “We have an amazing team with combined experience of more than 150 years in the hardware business,” says Phil. Several employees have worked for the store for more than 20 years; many more have worked there for more than a decade.
That experience—and a store stocked with pretty much everything you need to tackle any fix-up, repair or building project—is what keeps customers coming back. And the little “extras” don’t hurt. Staff quickly get to know you by name. They still let customers run house accounts. There’s “ACE the wonder dog,” who spends most days at the store. And there’s the popcorn. It’s always fresh, and you can help yourself to a bagful anytime.
“Our goal is to be helpful and knowledgeable, and to provide the best products at a good price,” says Marianne. “We are thankful to Ashland for its amazing support of smaller local businesses. It truly is what makes this area different and special.”
Phil and Marianne invite everyone to stop by Ashland General Hardware on May 5th for the store’s annual BBQ demo with free samples and prizes, including the raffle of a Traeger Pellet Grill.
For more info, call 541-482-3476 or visit ashlandgeneralhardware.com. You can also like them on Facebook.