When the Family Dollar store closed in Ridgway earlier this spring, Ace Hardware saw an opportunity.
And the Hill and Fedel families, in turn, saw an opportunity to bring another family-run business into the fold.
Ouray County welcomed its third hardware store earlier this month when Ace Hardware opened its doors at 283 Palomino Trail in Ridgway, offering a host of high-end, name brand products the owners say can’t be found without a drive to Montrose.
The store’s beginnings started with the end of Family Dollar, one of several hundred stores its parent company, Dollar Tree, closed earlier this year. Ace Hardware has taken over several brick and mortar locations formerly occupied by Family Dollar because the footprints are identical to many of Ace’s stores. The company approached Darin and Valerie Hill and asked if they would be interested in opening an Ace in the roughly 5,000-square-foot building.
The Ridgway couple is quite familiar with Ace. The Hills own and operate Ace Hardware stores in four other locations — one in Rangely, two in Texas and one in Arizona.
They also know something about family businesses. They run Mountain Market in Ridgway, and they are partnering with their daughter and son-in-law, Alyssa and Tom Fedel, to own and operate the Ace Hardware store. The Fedels own Ouray Grocery and Ouray Liquors and are managing the hardware store on a day-to-day basis.
“We decided this would be a great way to integrate family into the business,” Valerie Hill said.
Hill noted Ace sells brands not found in True Value hardware stores in Ridgway or Ouray, such as Stihl and Craftsman, and that the Ridgway Ace will service Stihl tools. The store also does not sell lumber, which is offered at the Ridgway hardware store.
The new store also offers a variety of other merchandise shoppers would otherwise have to drive to Montrose or go online to purchase, such as outdoor cooking equipment like Traeger and Big Green Egg, Solo Stove fire pits, Ooni pizza ovens, Ego cordless outdoor power tools and Benjamin Moore paint.
Ridgway Ace Hardware store manager Caleb Lewis checks the price on a pizza peel in the front of the store, where an assortment of grills, smokers and pizza ovens are stocked. The new store opened at the former Family Dollar location, at 283 Palomino Trail, earlier this month, after Ace Hardware approached the Hill family about opening up the Ridgway location. Erin McIntyre – Ouray County Plaindealer
Hill said customers can also special order items, and order items online and have them delivered to the Ridgway store.
Some residents have viewed the opening of the store with skepticism, wondering why Ouray County needs three hardware stores or whether it can support all three. Hill believes it can.
“Ace and True Value are two totally different animals, offer two totally different products and brands,” she said. “You can go to True Value and get things you can’t pick up at Ace.”
Hill compared having another hardware store opening in Ouray County to the variety of multiple restaurants and bars operating in town.
Ridgway Ace Hardware employees pose at the front counter. From left to right are sales associates Steve Smyth and Sue Melchior and store manager Caleb Lewis. The store plans on offering maintenance services for Stihl and it also carries a wide variety of tools, housewares, hardware and cleaning products as well as some pet supplies and small appliances. Erin McIntyre – Ouray County Plaindealer
“Everybody fills their own little niche and there’s enough business to go around,” she said.
Ridgway’s Ace Hardware store is open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.
