BOB FLYNN CJ Contributing Writer

Ace Hardware, once a mainstay in downtown Somerset, has made a triumphant return to the Somerset area after being absent for many years.

Longtime Ace Hardware owner Mike Bone and his wife Teri, both Indiana natives, moved to Somerset five years ago and quickly realized it needed another Ace Hardware.

After looking for a location for the store, the two decided that the old Goodwill location in the Tradewind Shopping Center was the perfect spot and in December 2024 Ace Hardware was back in business in Somerset.

The store is proudly a veteran owned and operated business, as Mike, and his stepson Chris Franklin, the store manager, are both veterans, as are several

other employees. Ace offers a 10 % military discount and also a 10 percent senior discount on all purchases.

Ace Hardware is a true family business as well with Terri, Mike’ s daughter Gabriella Fadely and Chris’ s wife Tanya all working there.

The Ace Hardware team prides itself for its friendly customer focused service that is unmatched in the area.

“ We offer friendly service and we pride ourselves on being helpful people. You are going to get some expertise when you come in here, whether it’ s plumbing, tools or hardware. Our employees are knowledgeable about what we have in the store and know where to find everything,” Franklin said.

Ace Hardware is everything people have come to love about the

company offering a full range of products for every hardware need.

With the arrival of spring and its warmer temperatures, people are ready to get outside and enjoy the weather and get prepared for grilling season. The Somerset store is proud to be the first Ace Hardware store out of the 5,000 nationwide to have a dedicated space built specifically for all your BBQ needs.

The store features a large selection of grills from Weber, Traeger, Blackstone and Big Green Egg as well as all the tools and accessories needed for the perfect cookout. They also stock a large selection of BBQ sauces and dry rubs, as well as Ooni pizza ovens and wood chip outdoor fire pits and stoves.

Spring is also the time to prepare to get to work outside, and whether

its lawn care, gardening or other outdoor maintenance, Ace has everything you need.

Ace has all your power tool needs covered as well with a selection of tools and accessories from Milwaukee, DeWalt and Black & Decker, as well as a recently added full line of Stihl products including push mowers, trimmers, leaf blowers, chain saws of every size for jobs large or small. They also have a large selection of EGO electric trimmers, chain saws, leaf blowers and both push and riding mowers as well as Toro mowers.

And for those looking to do some spring-cleaning on the inside Ace has a dedicated paint studio in the middle of the store featuring Benjamin Moore paint including their Clark Kensington and Royal paints.

There also is an area