Ace signs on as wholesale supplier for New Zealand retailer

Ace Hardware is shipping off to New Zealand -- specifically, as a wholesale supplier to Mitre 10, a major home improvement retail cooperative in the country. Individual Mitre 10 stores will also have the opportunity to purchase goods from Ace directly.

“Ace Hardware is delighted to work with the retailers and employees of Mitre 10 to supply their stores with the industry’s best products, delivered through our world-class supply chain network,” said Robert Moschorak, president, Ace Hardware International Holdings, Ltd. “We look forward to introducing Mitre 10 customers to an even better selection to suit their home repair and improvement needs.”

Effective today, July 1, Mitre 10 will begin sourcing products from the USA, but that's not the only thing it stands to gain from the relationship.

“After an extensive review, Mitre 10 has decided to form a trade agreement with Ace Hardware,” explained Mitre 10 CEO Neil Cowie. “Ace Hardware has proven to have strong systems and supply chain processes in place that can enable us to extend our business even further and to the high level our customers have come to expect.”

Mitre 10 is made up of 81 member-owned stores throughout New Zealand, which run the gamut from convenience store formats to larger, big-box layouts.

The new products will be available to Mitre 10 customers later this year.

Mitre 10 has another connection to the U.S. hardware industry: current True Value Company CEO John Hartmann served as CEO of the New Zealand company from 2010 to 2013.