Letter: Vail Valley Ace Hardware is reopening
Vail Valley Ace Hardware has been closed to the public since March 2020. The store has remained open, but customers have not been able to go inside. Instead, they have waited outside while Ace employees shopped for them. Ace was never required to do this. Ace was designated essential at the onset of the pandemic and could have operated with minimal interruption all along. Instead, ….
No matter how you finish that thought, Ace is about to reopen. And in deciding whether you will visit and with what frequency, please consider the following:
- That virtually every day it was closed to the public, Ace lost money. Yet no employee lost even a single hour of work, let alone their job.
- That the day Ace reopens (April 10) marks no political win or loss or any end to the pandemic, but the day when Ace’s at-risk employees’ vaccines become fully effective.
- That the whole store always remained available to all even if it meant employees making multiple trips to and from the hardware section for a single screw (so many of you need one screw; and so many of you forget that you need a washer too; and then a nut; and then a frisbee; and then “one of those things that does like this?”).
It was rarely efficient. It was never profitable. But Ace was always an option for you.
Vail Valley Ace Hardware will continue doorstep service for anyone that prefers it that way, at least for a while. But if you are ready to get back to business as almost normal, then yes please already — our feet are so tired.
To those that supported us, thank you. To those that did not, we understand. And to all, we hope to see you soon. Sincerely, your helpful hardware folks.
Support Local Journalism
Mike Kline, manager Vail Valley Ace Hardware
Avon
