Ace Hardware Selects Missouri for New Distribution Center
Ace Hardware Corp. announced plans to open a new Retail Support Center (RSC) in Kansas City, Mo. The new facility, spanning approximately 1.5 million square feet, is projected to be fully operational in 2025, and is expected to create 350 new jobs.
“We’re excited to add a world-renowned company like Ace Hardware to the growing list of businesses opening new facilities in Missouri,” said Governor Mike Parson. “Our state’s location in the center of the United States gives companies the ability to reach customers quickly. We’re proud to welcome Ace Hardware to Kansas City and look forward to watching its success in the region.”
Ace Hardware is building this new facility to balance its current distribution network and meet the needs of its growing retail landscape. In the last 10 years, Ace Hardware has increased its retail sales by $12 billion. Ace has also experienced 11 consecutive years of new domestic store growth, resulting in the opening of 850 new stores in the past five years. Its network of distribution centers allows Ace to offer best-in-category service and support to its retailers, and the new Kansas City facility will help the company keep pace with current demands and projected growth in the coming years.
“We look forward to construction of the new Retail Support Center in Kansas City, which will be a critical part of Ace Hardware’s robust supply chain,” said Lori Bossmann, executive vice president, chief supply chain officer for Ace. “This new facility will allow Ace to accommodate its recent growth and sales volume, and it will prepare our company for future business opportunities. By strengthening our presence in the Midwest, Ace will be better positioned to fulfill deliveries more frequently, ensuring consistent service levels as new stores are opening within our network.”
The Retail Support Center in Kansas City will become an integral part of Ace’s global distribution network. Construction is expected to begin in Q2 of 2023, with projected completion in mid-2025.
“The addition of this RSC ensures that we have strategically positioned facilities aligned with our stores,” said Jake O’Neal, Ace’s corporate vice president, retail support. “It also enables us to maintain balanced service areas, ensuring the prompt delivery of goods to our stores and providing our retailers with a competitive advantage in meeting their customers’ needs. During critical events such as seasonal flooding, natural disasters and the pandemic, Ace’s robust distribution network has served as a lifeline for the communities we proudly serve.”
The new facility in Missouri will be almost twice the size of the average Ace RSC. It will be the first facility in the new KCI 29 Logistics Park, a 3,300-acre megasite assembled by Hunt Midwest. The Kansas City RSC will be equipped with state-of-the art technology, automation and warehouse management systems.
