In an effort to make an impact with an advertising budget far smaller than what the big-box retailers spend, Oak Brook, Ill.-based Ace Hardware execs created a “once in a lifetime”
contest linked to the company’s entrepreneurial philosophy. “[Dream Ace] is for all those who have always wanted to own their own business, but life always seemed to get in the way,”
says Paula Erickson, director of advertising and brand development.
Thanks to the buzz created by the “Dream Ace Machines” national bus tour in early January, 5,400
entrepreneurs went online in a quest to win their own Ace Hardware store worth $1 million. From state winners, the applicants were narrowed down to two finalists, who made their pitch to Ace retailers
at the annual convention in Las Vegas on March 15. The winner was an Army veteran of Operation Desert Storm, Gower Talley, who had just retired from the Oregon National Guard.
The grand
opening of the winner’s store near Houston is scheduled for late June, and Ace stores nationwide will celebrate the new franchisee with special promotions.