WHITEHALL — Ace Hardware expanded its offerings before this year with the start of a handyman assistance, and Wednesday, the new business was formally welcomed to the White Lake space with a ribbon-cutting ceremony.
Chamber of Commerce govt director Amy VanLoon was on hand for the ceremony, as was point out senator Jon Bumstead.
The handyman support is owned by the similar team that owns the Ace store on Colby St., but will be headquartered just up the street in the previous Plumb’s plaza, which happens to be owned by that group as nicely. The assistance is located just a pair of doorways down from Ceremony-Aid Pharmacy.
Emily Johnson, one of the homeowners, claimed the assistance started in May perhaps and experienced a superior summertime. She was pleased to get very good feed-back from the space, not just from on the internet critiques — of which she said all 40-as well as were being five-star feed-back — but term of mouth.
“Somebody at the Chamber (of Commerce) conference on Monday evening came up to me and reported they were being getting meal with a pair other couples and just one of the partners was just raving about the Ace handyman that experienced just been there,” Johnson mentioned. “That would make me come to feel excellent. I know from the evaluations that individuals are leaving 5 stars, but I like to listen to that term of mouth from individuals as well.”
Johnson mentioned Ace has been pushing into the handyman field around the past couple of yrs right after the company purchased a business known as Handyman Matters in 2019. The firm was a franchise-primarily based small business that ran matters for a assortment of area handymen and is now a standalone subsidiary of Ace. The enterprise has been expanding immediately in Michigan, with hubs in Detroit and Grand Rapids.
“I consider there had been possibly 100 franchises when they bought it and we’re now getting completely ready to hit 400 by the end of this 12 months,” Johnson reported. “Ace Hardware has been conversing about it for several several years and it just made sense to proceed that buyer service track. Owning components outlets by now, we recognized a very little bit of what we had been getting into. It is a awesome coordination.”
Becoming underneath the Ace umbrella has its positive aspects, as the handymen usually acquire the materials necessary for a job at the community Ace keep.
The enterprise has swiftly located its market, Johnson explained, with function on the more mature homes that are widespread in the White Lake and bordering places. Custom-made doors and windows to in good shape more mature buildings that never automatically suit the regular sizes that are now the norm has been a widespread ask for.
The business is “staying in the handyman lane,” Johnson stated, and sticking to positions that can mostly be carried out inside of of one day. When presented with a customer who requires plumbing or more difficult operate, craftsmen will refer them to local organizations that focus in that division.
Over and above the typical handyman fare, the new organization has fielded some abnormal requests as nicely. Main craftsman Dave Gilonis showed off images of a cat wall he just developed for a person shopper, consisting merely of shelves positioned all over one wall so their cat can check out far more territory.
For the moment, the corporation has only two comprehensive-time craftsmen, but Johnson stated she hopes the business enterprise can increase to the point where much more can come on board.
“The much more craftsmen that you can use, then the much more solutions you’re equipped to offer you and expand and broaden, and you are capable to take on more market positions,” Johnson claimed. “Our goal is to have even far more craftsmen and just about every craftsman has their specialty, the detail they are finest at.”
To continue to keep organization humming for the duration of the coming chilly months, which will clearly restrict the outside function their craftsmen can do, Ace Handyman is providing a variety of specials. Clients can stop into their site, which is open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., for much more specifics.
