Acme Tools turns 75
Acme Tools is celebrating its 75th anniversary in the tool and equipment industry and its evolution from a small electric motor repair company founded in 1948 to an omnichannel retailer today with more than 600 employees.
“Our success and growth as a four-generation family owned company is a credit to our loyal customers, tool and equipment manufacturers and employees,” said Steve Kuhlman, president of corporate operations for the Grand Forks, North Dakota-based retailer.
Acme Tools said it realized significant expansion and growth since adding retail and select rental locations in Iowa, Minnesota and North Dakota.
Also, in 2013, the company added Acme Equipment, a division focusing on equipment brands, located in Grand Forks, and is currently finishing construction of a new Acme Equipment in Fargo, N.D.
After selling its original e-commerce business to Amazon.com in 1999, the company said it relaunched its e-commerce business in 2010 and re-established itself as an omnichannel retailer of tools and equipment.
Growing the online business was supported by a new distribution center built in Grand Forks in 2014 and expanded in 2020.
“Online orders increased greatly during the pandemic both regionally with the introduction of buy online pick up in-store and nationally with the increasing of stock levels early on during the pandemic,” said the retailer.
An additional 115,000-square-foot distribution center opened in the spring of this year in Burnsville, Minnesota.
“Acme Tools has remained at the forefront of the tool and equipment industry for 75 years through innovation, dedication and hard work,” said Paul Kuhlman, president of merchandise operations.
The retailer has 10 retail stores in North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa, and offers more than 100,000 products online from more than 1,100 brands.
“Some of our success is from our great business relationships with our manufacturers and their representatives,” said Kuhlman.
