--- title: Ace Hardware Corporation Jobs & Careers — Retail Co-op description: Explore Ace Hardware Corporation careers in retail and operations. Browse corporate, merchandising, supply chain, and support jobs at this 100-year-old retail cooperative. type: company url: https://www.foundrole.com/companies/ace-hardware-corporation date: 2026-04-02T23:27:32Z og_description: Ace Hardware Corporation is the largest non-grocery retail cooperative in the United States, with 5,200+ locations across 60 countries. Browse corporate, operations, supply chain, and retail support careers at Ace Hardware's Oak Brook, IL headquarters and distribution network. og_image: https://www.foundrole.com/img/pages/al7ico/ace-hardware-corporation.png?v=2 breadcrumbs: - label: Home url: https://www.foundrole.com/ - label: Companies url: https://www.foundrole.com/companies --- # Ace Hardware Corporation Jobs & Careers — Retail Co-op | | | |---|---| | **Industry** | Retail | | **Rating** | 3.7 | | **Size** | 5,001-10,000 employees | | **Headquarters** | Oak Brook, Illinois | | **Founded** | 1924 | | **Website** | https://www.acehardware.com/ | ## About Ace Hardware Corporation is the largest non-grocery retail cooperative in the United States, headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois. The company operates as a retailer-owned cooperative, providing wholesale purchasing, merchandising, advertising, and operational support to a network of over 5,200 independently owned hardware stores across 60 countries. ## History Founded on October 25, 1924 in Chicago by five hardware retailers — Richard Hesse, Frank Burke, Oscar Fisher, E. Gunnard Linquist, and William Stauber — the company adopted the Ace Hardware name in 1931. After founder Richard Hesse retired in 1973, the company was sold to its retailer-members and restructured as a cooperative, relocating corporate operations to Oak Brook, Illinois in 1974. Under the cooperative model, profits are returned to dealer-owners through cash or stock rebates. Ace celebrated its 100th anniversary in October 2024 and first reached $5 billion in wholesale sales in 2015. ## What They Do As a wholesale cooperative, Ace Hardware Corporation supports its dealer-member network through several core functions: - **Wholesale Purchasing** — centralized buying that gives independent dealers access to competitive pricing - **Merchandising & Marketing** — national advertising campaigns, product planograms, and brand management - **Supply Chain & Distribution** — distribution centers supplying inventory to member stores across the US and internationally - **Technology & E-commerce** — digital commerce platforms and POS systems for dealer-members - **Business Services** — training, store development, and operational support for member retailers ## Industry Position Ace Hardware is the largest retail hardware cooperative in the world, competing with Home Depot and Lowe's through a locally owned dealer model that emphasizes neighborhood service and community relationships. The company's cooperative structure differentiates it from publicly traded chain retailers — member dealers retain ownership while benefiting from Ace's scale and brand recognition. ## Working at Ace Hardware Corporation Corporate positions at Ace Hardware's Oak Brook, IL headquarters span merchandising, supply chain, IT, finance, marketing, and HR. Distribution center roles support the wholesale logistics operation. The company employs several thousand corporate and distribution staff. It holds a 3.7 Glassdoor rating based on nearly 4,000 reviews. Note that positions at individual Ace Hardware stores are employed by the independent dealer-owner, not Ace Hardware Corporation directly.## Mission To be the best, most helpful hardware stores on the planet, serving local communities through a cooperative network of retailers supported by exceptional people and resources.## Open Positions 0 open positions at Ace Hardware Corporation. [View all Ace Hardware Corporation jobs →](https://www.foundrole.com/companies/ace-hardware-corporation?tab=jobs) ## Latest News - [Ace Hardware Returns to Groundhog Day as Ace YardRx Enters Its Second](https://www.foundrole.com/companies/ace-hardware-corporation/news/ace-hardware-returns-to-groundhog-day-as-ace-yardrx-enters-its-second-year) - [Ace Hardware Ranks Among Top Brands on Forbes 2026 Best Customer](https://www.foundrole.com/companies/ace-hardware-corporation/news/ace-hardware-ranks-among-top-brands-on-forbes-2026-best-customer-service-list) - [Ace Hardware Celebrates Grand Opening of New Retail Support Center in](https://www.foundrole.com/companies/ace-hardware-corporation/news/ace-hardware-celebrates-grand-opening-of-new-retail-support-center-in-kansas-city-mo) - [ACE HARDWARE REPORTS FOURTH QUARTER AND FULL YEAR 2025 RESULTS](https://www.foundrole.com/companies/ace-hardware-corporation/news/ace-hardware-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2025-results) - [87% of Millennial Homeowners Have Unfinished Repair Projects, 84% are](https://www.foundrole.com/companies/ace-hardware-corporation/news/87-of-millennial-homeowners-have-unfinished-repair-projects-84-are-putting-them-off-ace-hardware-home-services-reveals) ## Frequently Asked Questions ### What does Ace Hardware Corporation do? Ace Hardware Corporation is the largest non-grocery retail cooperative in the United States. As a retailer-owned cooperative, it provides wholesale purchasing, merchandising, advertising, and business support services to its network of independently owned Ace Hardware stores. The company operates over 5,200 locations across 60 countries. ### Where is Ace Hardware Corporation headquartered? Ace Hardware Corporation is headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois. The company relocated its corporate offices to Oak Brook in 1974 after being restructured as a retailer-owned cooperative. Corporate functions including merchandising, IT, supply chain, marketing, and HR are based there. ### What types of jobs are available at Ace Hardware Corporation? Corporate roles at Ace Hardware span merchandising, supply chain, IT, marketing, finance, HR, and operations. The company's distribution centers employ warehouse and logistics staff. Individual dealer-owned Ace Hardware stores hire store managers, associates, and retail staff independently — those are not direct corporate positions. ### Is Ace Hardware a public company? No. Ace Hardware Corporation is a privately held retailer-owned cooperative. Profits are returned to its dealer-owners through cash or stock rebates rather than distributed to public shareholders. The cooperative structure has been in place since 1973 when the company was sold to its retailers. ### How long has Ace Hardware been in business? Ace Hardware was founded on October 25, 1924 in Chicago by five hardware store owners — Richard Hesse, Frank Burke, Oscar Fisher, E. Gunnard Linquist, and William Stauber — who formed a purchasing and advertising partnership. The company celebrated its 100th anniversary in October 2024. ### How large is Ace Hardware's retail network? As of 2024, Ace Hardware operates over 5,200 locations across 60 countries. The network is made up of independently owned dealer-members who use the Ace brand, purchasing and distribution infrastructure, and marketing resources. The cooperative first reached $5 billion in wholesale sales in 2015. ## Related - [Browse all companies](https://www.foundrole.com/companies) - [Grainger Jobs & Careers — Industrial Distribution](https://www.foundrole.com/companies/grainger) - [Ace Hardware Home Services Jobs & Careers — Trades](https://www.foundrole.com/companies/ace-hardware-home-services) - [Meijer Jobs & Careers — Midwest Supercenter Retailer](https://www.foundrole.com/companies/meijer) - [Staples Jobs & Careers — Office Supply & B2B Services](https://www.foundrole.com/companies/staples) - [Staples Jobs & Careers — Office Supply Retail](https://www.foundrole.com/companies/staples-inc)