Owners of the future Ace Hardware on Kitsap Way say they still hope to have the store open in June.
The franchise will be owned by Wenatchee-based Ag Supply Company, which operates five other Ace locations in the state. Only one of the stores, an Ace in Sultan, is west of the Cascades.
Ag Supply Operations Manager Kerry
McCauley said he expects to nail down an opening date for the
Bremerton location by April. The company will launch the store with
about 10 locally-hired employees.
Property owner Ralph Erickson said contractors are waiting for a building permit from the city to come through before starting construction. Erickson is also hopeful the store can be open by June, but said permitting has been a “struggle.”
McCauley said Ace’s corporate office approached Ag Supply about opening the Bremerton franchise after researching the market. The property was occupied by Arnold’s Home Furnishings before a fire gutted the building in 2009. Arnold’s reopened in a scaled-down showroom next door.
The Bremerton Ace will carry the typical hardware and gardening supplies found at other franchise stores. It will also stock some inventory tailored to local demand.
“They’ll have that general footprint, then look at things the community needs,”McCauley said. “We’ll have our ear to the ground from the day we open.”
The new Ace will be the fourth in Kitsap County, joining locations in Poulsbo, Port Orchard and on Bainbridge Island.
