Ace Hardware

Specialties

We are your hometown hardware store specializing in Hardware, Lawn and Garden, Plumbing, Electrical, Paint, Fasteners, House-​wares, and much more. We also have a large seasonal area that transforms from a winter wonderland of Christmas decorations, trees, and supplies to a patio and outdoor-​living center every spring. Whatever your home needs, odds are we’ve got you covered. Stop in and let us assist you. Helping you is the most important thing we have to do today.

History

Established in 2003.

In 1951, Robert Bishop purchased Hill Hardware, changed the name to Bishop Hardware, and joined the Ace Hardware Co-​op. In 1955, George T. Preckwinkle bought half-​interest before purchasing Mr. Bishop’s interest in 1961.

The company expanded with the building of stores in Jacksonville in ’65, Taylorville in ’72 and our Wabash store in ’73. Further Illinois expansion has since included Normal in ’89, Havana in ’01, Carlinville in ’02, Lincoln in ’03, Chatham in ’05, Hillsboro in ’07, and our latest expansion to Pontiac in March of 2011. Our Chatham store marked the first time in 32 years we built a store from the ground up.

After working with George T. and Rosalie Preckwinkle for several years, their children, George W. Preckwinkle and Lucy E. Bagot took the reins of the company in the 1980’s and have been running the successful operations ever since. By keeping our focus on staying local, we’ve managed to weave ourselves into the fabric of our communities.

Meet the Manager

J.R. B.

Manager

Our Manager J.R. Bailey is originally from Havana, IL and now resides in Middletown. He began working for Ace in 1996 and became the manager of our Lincoln store in 2001. In addition to managing in Lincoln, J.R. also oversees the purchasing of all of our plants and landscaping materials for all 10 of our stores. His favorite part of working for Ace is getting to work such a vast array of customers.

When J.R. is not hard at work he likes to «drink iced tea and sleep.»