Names in the News: Dan Harris Prepares to Open Second Ace Hardware in Lemont

While most of the Mom & Pop shops long since have boarded up their doors, some local hardware stores have found ways to compete—and on occasion beat—the big-box giants by utilizing buying co-op power and putting a new thrust on an old business axiom: customer service.

Ever hear of Ace Hardware?

The chain consists of nearly 4,800 retail stores throughout the United States and around the world. Each store is owned and operated locally by an independent agent.

Dan Harris is the store owner at Palos Ace Hardware. He stocks about 35,000 items on his shelves and caters his merchandise to a client base that largely lives within a 2-5 mile radius of his front door at 6465 W. 127th St. in Palos Heights.

This October, he and his wife, Pattie, will open another Ace Hardware at 1096 State St. in , next to . 

"We're eager to be here, and are excited to be in this community," . "We just ask that the community supports us. We're locally owned, and we will pay back in many different ways."

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