Aubuchon Adds Eight Arkansas Locations with Acquisition of F.L. Davis Deal

The Aubuchon Company is expanding further into the South through an agreement to acquire the assets and operations of seven F.L. Davis Ace stores in Arkansas, marking the company’s first entry into the state and extending its footprint to 144 stores across 12 states following a planned June 5 closing.

Under the agreement, Aubuchon and the sellers will jointly own and operate one additional F.L. Davis Ace location. All stores will continue operating under the F.L. Davis Ace name, and Travis Sartain will remain in a leadership role.

The acquisition gives Aubuchon a significant presence in Arkansas through a mix of hardware stores and larger-format home centers located in Pea Ridge, Centerton, Sherwood, Fayetteville, Tontitown, Greers Ferry, Heber Springs and Mountain View.

“For more than 70 years, the Davis family has been building something remarkable in Arkansas, a business rooted in hard work, impeccable service, and a real understanding of the communities they call home,” said William E. Aubuchon IV, president and CEO of Aubuchon Company.

F.L. Davis Ace longtime owner Renae Estes said the decision to sell comes as she prepares to retire after decades leading the family business.

“This decision comes from a desire to step back and retire, but we are leaving knowing our stores are in good hands,” Estes said. “We are proud that Travis will be continuing with the company, and our customers and team can expect the same care and quality that have defined F.L. Davis from the beginning.”

Founded in 1954 by F.L. Davis and his wife, Cleta, the company began as a mercantile business in north central Arkansas before expanding into building materials and hardware. Estes purchased the company from her father in 1998 and later expanded the operation with her daughter, Caitlin Sartain, growing it to eight locations across the state.

Aubuchon said the acquisition continues the company’s geographic expansion beyond its traditional Northeastern footprint.

“With this acquisition, we also take our first steps into Arkansas — a new state, and a new time zone, for our company — and we couldn’t ask for a better team to enter alongside,” Aubuchon said.

Founded in 1908 in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, Aubuchon Company is now in its fourth generation of family leadership.