Steve Puchir, Ace Hardware manager, said his business’ alliance with Ace hardware was brought on by customer demand. This weekend, Puchir and his team get to celebrate their new union. “We felt there was a need for diversification,’’ said Puchir. All other Wallauer stores will remain home decorating centers with the possibility of adding hardware in a few additional locations in the future.
“We felt like there was nothing in this area with the type of service we can provide,’’ Puchir said. “This was an opportunity to service the community, and it could benefit us as well. We welcome the hardware component as part of our home decorating center.”
Puchir said Wallauer considered adding hardware in 2012. When Wallauer decided to add a hardware component, it also renovated the store and added 12 employees.
“Because of the history of the store as paint and decorating, it was a major renovation as far as the building went,’’ he said. “Now we have 8,000 more square feet. That was the hardest decision, how we were going to go about it. It took some research and time, but we decided this is the way to go.”
Puchir said customer demands played a large part in the decision, and early feedback is encouraging.
“It’s being well received by the public,’’ he said. “From what they tell us, big box stores are not their favorite places to go, but they felt like they didn’t have an alternative. We’re known for our service, so we’re excited to make this addition. It’s exciting to see the whole thing come together. We’re looking forward to it and seeing it become successful.”