Great Lakes Ace Hardware
Bob Kuehne has over 40 years of experience in retail and distribution management. Currently serving as Senior Manager of Planning and Allocation at Aco Hardware since October 2011, Kuehne previously worked at Borders Group for 14 years in various roles, including Data Manager and Manager of Distribution Center Purchasing Group. Kuehne was responsible for managing $770 million in annual purchasing and sales prediction analysis. Earlier career experience includes roles as Senior Programmer Analyst and Buyer at Franks Nursery & Crafts, where Kuehne handled significant purchasing responsibilities and sales management for a chain of garden centers. Kuehne holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry and Botany from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
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Great Lakes Ace Hardware
Overview Great Lakes Ace is a chain of hardware stores bringing more than 70 years of hardware experience to the neighborhoods that we serve. Our relationship with Ace Hardware provides national chain buying power, access to hundreds of thousands of products, and premium merchandise brands like Craftsman, Scotts, Valspar, Toro, Weber, Stihl, Yeti and others. At the same time, we provide our customers with a localized product mix and services while operating a friendly, helpful neighborhood hardware store. Vision Our team is inspired by our Vision to: Improve Lives & Communities Mission Great Lakes Ace’s Mission is to: Go above & Beyond to Serve We are inspired to build a culture of service throughout the organization that is the bedrock of our daily operations. Community We are most proud of our team’s commitment to giving back to the neighborhoods we serve through a series of locally identified community events. Great Lakes Ace associates work with local schools and non-profit groups, raising funds and holding events and demonstrations that are meaningful and helpful to our neighbors. History Our history in hardware is a classic American tale of hard work and reinvention. We were originally founded in 1946 as The Hardware Depot by the Traskos brothers of Dearborn, MI. The company had grown to 4 locations by 1959 when we joined the Ace Hardware cooperative and changed our name to ACE Budget Center. In 1981, we had grown to 36 stores and left the Ace organization to operate independently under the name of ACO Hardware. In 2014, the Board of Directors concluded that it was time for yet another reinvention of the company to ensure long term success and sustained relevance to our customers. We rejoined the Ace Hardware co-op under the banner of Great Lakes Ace Hardware.