Ace Hardware opening in Butler Twp
Two Butler County couples want to bring some helpful spirit to a store they plan to open in Butler Township in mid-November.
Mary and Mike Waggoner and Amy and Cameron Bodamer are partners in an Ace Hardware store, which Mary Waggoner said will open before Thanksgiving in the Greater Butler Mart shopping plaza on Route 8.
The 12,000-square-foot store will open in mid-November, but the specific date will depend on merchandise delivery, she said.
“Ace is known as the helpful place. The corporation has been unbelievably helpful and we really want to take that spirit into the store so we can help people fulfill their project needs,” Mary Waggoner said.
The owners have started interviewing applicants for the 10 to 14 employees needed to staff the store.
“It will be a mix of part-time and full-time. We've had some great quality candidates. We're really pleased with the folks applying with us,” she said.
The Waggoners moved to the county in 1995 and own a restaurant.
Cameron Bodamer, the operating partner, has experience in the home improvement retail store business. His wife, Amy, is a teacher in the Butler School District.
“We're two families that came together to open a hardware store to meet a need,” Mary Waggoner said.
The store where the Ace will be located used to house a Roomful Express furniture store, which the partners started upgrading in June.
“It's coming along. It's really going to look nice,” Waggoner said.
When the store opens, customer will have 20,000 items to choose from while munching on free popcorn.
“Free popcorn all day,” she said.
The store will stock all sorts of hardware, seasonal items and Jeep signage, and have a key making machine and gift area.
Cameron Bodamer said the store will feature power equipment from Toro and Echo, grills from Weber, Big Green Egg and Traeger, Yeti coolers and many hardware supplies.
“We're going to be a typical hardware store,” Bodamer said.
Merchandise for lawn and garden care will be available in spring and summer and snow shovels will be in stock for winter, he said.
Holiday decorations will also be sold, Bodamer said.
“There's going to be a lot of stuff in that store. We will make keys that work. It's a state-of-the-art key machine,” Waggoner said.
Ace donates to the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals and the new store will give customers the opportunity to round up their bills and donate the rounded up portion to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, which is part of the network.
“Our intention is to be a really good community partner,” Waggoner said.
