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Rocky’s Ace Hardware, one of the country’s largest family-owned Ace Hardware dealers, was recently honored with the Award of Excellence in Retail by the Retailers Association of Massachusetts (RAM) and inducted into the Retail Hall of Fame. Recipients are nominated by their industry peers and local chambers of commerce and are recognized for their overall excellence, innovation and service within the retail industry.
“We’re really excited to be inducted into the Retail Hall of Fame,” says Rocky’s Ace Hardware president Rocco Falcone. “We thank all our associates who made this possible. We call them our ‘red-vested heroes.’ We’d also like to thank our customers for supporting us for the last 96 years.”
Falcone’s grandfather, also named Rocco but nicknamed ‘Rocky,’ opened the first Rocky’s in 1926 in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1966, Rocky’s son James began running the business, eventually expanding to a successful seven-store chain before affiliating with the Ace Hardware Co-op. James’ son Rocco is the third generation of the family to serve as president. Rocky’s Ace Hardware now has 47 locations in nine states: Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island.
Rocco’s son John represents the fourth generation to join the family business, serving as the company’s director of merchandising. He attributes the success of the company to its three core values.
“We focus on service, convenience and quality,” says John Falcone. “The customer’s expectation when coming into our store is that we’re going to have very helpful associates. It’s our team’s expectation that we will provide much better service here than you’ll get at any big box store.”
The Retailers Association of Massachusetts Awards of Excellence were created in 1998 as a way to acknowledge retail excellence in the Commonwealth. Throughout their history, these awards have honored small and large retailers, rookies and veterans, identifying hidden gems from all corners of the state.
About Rocky’s Ace Hardware
Rocky’s Ace Hardware, your neighborhood store for paint, hardware, lawn and garden and grilling, has been in continuous operation, under the same family ownership, since opening its first location in Springfield, Massachusetts, in 1926. From one modest store to now 47 convenient locations throughout Connecticut, Florida, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, Rocky′s has become one of the country’s largest Ace Hardware dealers, noted for its exceptional customer service and vast product selection.
