DISTRIBUTORS/CO-OPS

Geneva Ace Hardware in Geneva, Ill., opened its doors last week, marking the return of Geneva Ace, but under different owners.

The stores new owners are George and Linda Havlicek. George also owns Havlicek Builders. Linda is an interior designer.

According to an article in the Chicago Daily Herald, the store includes a design center and a demonstration kitchen.

Brent Burger, True Value chairman and owner of five Campbell's True Value locations in Maine, was honored recently by the NRHA as one of its three industry "Top Guns" of 2014.

Setting Burger apart is his track record of promoting growth for the chain of hardware stores, as well as his commitment to his community as president of the True Value Foundation.

Burger has been on the True Value board since 2007 and has been serving as chair since 2013. Before joining the company in 1999, he worked for Starbucks Corporation and TCBY Enterprises, Inc.

Oak Brook, Ill.-based Ace Hardware Corporation, the industry’s largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative, recognized Les Orchekowsky of Sierra Vista, Ariz., with Ace’s first-ever Ray A. Griffith Retail Leadership Award.

Named after Ace’s former CEO Ray A. Griffith who retired in March 2013, the award will be given annually to the Ace retailer that most personifies Griffith’s outstanding leadership traits and exemplifies Ace’s core values.

Ace Hardware Corp. released its third-quarter earnings report today to the generally positive results of 8.9% growth in revenues since 2012, but more of the same in terms of income.

The hardware cooperative netted $1.0 billion in revenues for the third quarter, an increase of $84.4 million over the same quarter in 2012.

Meanwhile, net income came in at $34.4 million, little changed since 2012's figure of $34.3 million.