Raffaelo and Jackie Cianfaglione have owned and operated Norridge Ace Hardware in Norridge, Illinois, since 2016.
As a child, Raffaelo used to shop at the store with his father. He now enjoys serving the community where he grew up.
Read this story from the August issue of Hardware Retailing magazine to learn how Raffaelo’s experiences as a child helped him to buy the store and how a retailer friend helped guide him throughout the buying process.
The Cianfagliones remodeled the store after acquiring it, increasing the size of the salesfloor, replacing the lighting and reorganizing the product mix. View the photo slideshow to see the store, as well as Raffaelo, Jackie and members of their team.
Raffaelo Cianfaglione takes pride in operating the store he used to visit as a child with his father.
Raffaelo and Jackie Cianfaglione have owned and operated Norridge Ace Hardware since 2016. The store sells the core home improvement categories, as well as housewares, lawn and garden and outdoor living. They are working to add a sporting goods department.
Customers line up to check out at Norridge Ace Hardware.
Manager Larry Jandris has an open office at the front of the store so he can greet and help customers as soon as they walk in.
Adam Owens (left) with Raffaelo Cianfaglione. Owens is the Norridge Ace evening manager and handyman. He provides repair and installation services to customers who need help with minor projects, such as replacing faucets or toilets.
Kate is profiles editor for Hardware Retailing magazine. She reports on news and industry events and writes about retailers' unique contributions to the independent home improvement sector. She graduated from Cedarville University in her home state of Ohio, where she earned a bachelor's degree in English and minored in creative writing.
She loves being an aunt, teaching writing to kids, running, reading, farm living and, as Walt Whitman says, traveling the open road, “healthy, free, the world before me.”