Here are the Ace “Vendors of the Year”
To be named an Ace vendor of the year takes excellent customer service, unparalleled innovation and inventory management.
During the co-op’s Spring Convention and Exhibits earlier this month in Las Vegas, Oak Brook, Illinois-based Ace Hardware cited eight companies for that kind of performance.
The following Vendor of the Year award winners represent various industries but all share a dedication to providing the best possible service, products and support to Ace Hardware.
Vendor of the Year:
• Amy Howard at Home (Memphis, Tenn.) – The Amy Howard at Home product line offers consumers a fresh, affordable, and easy way to rescue, restore and redecorate old furniture in their homes.
• Emerson Tool Company (St. Louis) – Emerson Professional Tools, a business of Emerson, brings technology and engineering together to design and produce some of the highest-quality tools and equipment in the world, including the Craftsman wet/dry vacuum program that is carried by Ace Hardware.
• Flanders-Precisionaire (Washington, N. C.) Flanders is a leading air filtration products manufacturer. Flanders products are utilized by many industries, including those associated with commercial and residential heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, semiconductor manufacturing, ultra-pure materials, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, synthetics, nuclear power and nuclear materials processing.
• Taylor Precision Products (Oak Brook, Ill.) – Vendor of the Year
Taylor is the leading North American marketer of consumer and foodservice precision measurement products—including kitchen scales, thermometers, timers, bath scales and outdoor weather measurement products. Taylor continues to expand their portfolio by offering Metrokane (barware) and Chef’n upscale gadget line.
• Weber-Stephen Products (Palatine, Ill.) – Vendor of the Year
Weber-Stephen Products LLC is the world's premier manufacturer of charcoal, gas and electric grills, grilling accessories and award-winning cookbooks and mobile applications.
Ace Foundation Vendor of the Year
• Duracell Company (Bethel, Conn.) Duracell is the world’s leading manufacturer of high-performance alkaline batteries, and an innovator in renewable power and wireless charging technologies to help consumers live life without limits.
Sustainability Vendor of the Year
• Hampton Products (Foothill Ranch, Calif.) – Hampton Products International is a leading supplier of security and architectural hardware and cargo management brands. Recently introduced new proprietary, more sustainable packaging for the Ace Private Label Builders Hardware, Padlock and Door Lock programs. This new packaging helped reintroduce the Ace Hardware Brand to consumers while reducing plastic waste by more than 300,000 pounds or 150 tons in the past two years alone. In addition to driving more sales at retail, this new packaging format is estimated to save the equivalent of nearly five million 16-ounce water bottles worth of plastic waste annually.
Global Vendor of the Year
• MD Building Products (Oklahoma City) – M-D Building Products is a weatherization products manufacturing company. M-D offers a wide range of innovative products including SmartTool Levels, Extruded Aluminum Shapes & Metal Sheets, Decorative Moulding, Flooring Installation Tools, Flooring Products, Weatherstripping, and Thresholds.
“Ace Hardware is proud to recognize these eight world class vendors as our 2015 Vendors of the Year,” said Frank Carroll, Vice President of Merchandising, Ace Hardware Corporation. “These outstanding organizations bring unparalleled discipline and execution to Ace Hardware, enabling us to exceed the expectations of Ace retailers across the globe. We are grateful for their contributions and we applaud them for their continued excellence.”