LOXLEY RETAIL SUPPORT CENTER HONORED BY
ACE HARDWARE CORPORATION IN ITS SECOND YEAR OF OPERATION

Loxley, AL (May 2003) – In only its second year of operation, Ace Hardware Corporation’s Loxley Retail Support Center (RSC) was recognized for its outstanding quality performance and production with seven awards, including the prestigious Retail Support Center of the Year award. The awards were presented at Ace’s annual wholesale symposium, which gathers members of Ace’s retail support team from across the nation.

The Loxley RSC received the Carmen “Bud” Picone Award for the Retail Support Center of the Year; the Arthur H. Krausman Award for achievement in quality control; the Roger Peterson Award for outstanding achievement for both overall productivity and network productivity; the George Harris National Safety Award; the Most Improved Traffic Operation; and the award for Most Valuable Region/Overall Operating Performance.

The picture is of Dave Myer, Senior Vice President Retail Support (left) presenting "Retail Support Center of the Year" award to Joe Bolda, Loxley Retail Support Manager

“Our team continues to raise the bar of excellence,” said Ron McClinton, General Manager Gulf Regions. “I’m extremely proud of our staff and their commitment to making the Loxley RSC the jewel in Ace’s distribution crown.

However, the group that cannot be overlooked is our employees/team members, our most valuable asset. They consistently turn out the highest quality work, done in the most efficient manner, and completed on schedule.”

Ace, a company consistently cited as one of the top 10 distribution organizations in the world, constructed the Loxley RSC to better service Ace retailers in the Gulf Coast region, which includes Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and the Florida panhandle.

The 800,000-square foot Loxley RSC houses an estimated $40 million inventory (approximately 66,000 SKUs) and services 365 Ace retailers, operating seven-days-a-week on a 362-day-a-year schedule. It is situated on 103 acres of land at the intersection of I-10 and Highway 59, just east of Mobile Bay.

Opened in September 2000, the Loxley RSC employs more than 300 people and features 40 shipping and 40 receiving doors, as well as many features aimed at providing a safe and uncomplicated work environment. Its truck fleet consists of 25 tractors and 60 trailers, which travel approximately three million miles per year.

Founded in 1924, Ace Hardware Corp., headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the industry. Ace currently operates 15 retail support centers in the United States with 5,000 independently owned stores located in all 50 states and 70 countries on six continents. Annual retail sales top $13 billion.

For more information on Ace Hardware, visit www.acehardware.com

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