New Ace Hardware store opens in Avon

“Ace is the place with the helpful hardware folks” is the familiar jingle of Ace Hardware, a company that celebrated its 100th year in 2024. Today, the founding principle of customer service is still paramount at the brand that honors the small-town feel of its stores, most of which are independently owned and operated.

Avon is the place for the newest Ace Hardware in Eagle County, Avon Home and Hardware, which is celebrating its grand opening this weekend.

The new store sits in a 20,000-square-foot space and has plenty of room to showcase brands like Big Green Egg, Milwaukee, Ego, Stihl, and Carhartt.

“For quite some time, we’ve noticed a large vacant space at the center of the community. The timing and the space worked well together to make it happen,” said Annique Frank, accountant for Vail Valley Ace Hardware in Vail, Big Horn Ace Hardware in Leadville, Gypsum Ace Hardware and now the new location in Avon’s Chapel Square.

Ernest Christian and Tim Christian are the owners of the three locations in Eagle County and one location in Lake County and have been eyeing the large vacant space in Avon next to Sun & Ski.

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“Vail Valley Ace Hardware has been at the Vail das Schone building in West Vail since 1992, and since 1992, the community has grown exponentially. One small store on the east side of Dowd Junction can’t serve the downvalley residents effectively,” Frank said. “The Gypsum store was opened in 2018 and serves the Gypsum and Dotsero area. We get customers in the other stores asking daily if and when there will be a store in Avon.”

Frank said that 20,000 square feet is a lot of space and that was one of the challenges that they faced.

“Ideally, the space would have been 15,000 square feet for a hardware store,” Frank said. “The 20,000 was intimidating, but we were excited to take on the challenge to see how best we could serve the community with the additional 5,000 square feet. We found that there is a shortfall in the valley in a few areas: home goods, art supplies and the Vail store doesn’t have the square footage to truly serve the Carhartt needs of the community, so we added more Carhartt here.”

“Our doors opened for business on Dec. 9 and our team will celebrate a Grand Opening this Saturday and Sunday to kick of the winter season,” said Emily Jaissle, office administrator at Gypsum Ace Hardware and the new Avon location. “The event will include free foods highlighting the Big Green Eggs and we’ll have door prizes and giveaways.”

“It’s our intention to meet everyone at the front door with a smile and a warm welcome. Between our knowledgeable staff and our gold and silver Stihl technicians, it’s our goal to meet every customer’s needs,” Jaissle. “We are so excited to serve people in the place where it matters most, in their homes and where they do life every day.”