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Party like it's 1924: Husband and wife team behind Lori's Ace Hardware prepare for 100 year celebration

By Faith Hatton, posted 11 months ago
 Co-Owners Nate Stobbe (right) and Lori Tracy Stobbe have spent the past year personalizing their store offerings and services for the Fayetteville community.

A big birthday is coming up for local hardware resource Lori’s Ace Home & Hardware and Ace Handyman Services Fayetteville. 

Known for being the “friendly, helpful place,” Lori’s Ace Home Hardware has been serving the Fayetteville community since their official opening in March of 2023. Now, with over a year in the community, Co-Owner’s Lori Tracy Stobbe and Nate Stobbe are inviting the community to the company’s 100-Year Anniversary Celebration to be held at their storefront at 2800 Raeford Road on June 29, 2024. 

The celebration at Lori's Ace will include:

  • Free limited-edition Ace 5-gallon buckets to the first 100 customers
  • Grill demos and free sampling of BBQ sauces between 11 a.m.-2 p.m. with Lori’s Ace BBQ experts and Vicious Pig BBQ
  • Giveaways of a Louisiana wood pellet grill and an Ego blower
  • Free popcorn

“Being a part of the 100-year anniversary of Ace is a very proud and nostalgic moment in time for us,” said Lori Tracy Stobbe. “So many people, myself included, have fond memories of growing up with an Ace store and experiencing that genuine, welcoming environment that is hard to find anywhere else.” 

It has been a busy year for the Stobbes who have worked together to bring the brand to Fayetteville.

Originally from Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, the pair met and fell in love in August of 2020. They later decided to relocate their new family to Fayetteville, NC with a focus on starting a new business. 

“We wanted to move somewhere that was warmer because we came from Minnesota and we wanted to have the opportunity to work together. This store provided that opportunity and it’s been absolutely fabulous being able to work together on a day to day basis and we really love it,” shared Nate Stobbe. 

Being the first to bring the Ace brand to the area, they were able to completely customize their store, bringing the reliable products and brands that customers love while also being able to take into account local needs and preferences to create a unique Ace storefront for Fayetteville. 

Browsing through the shelves, customers can expect to find local brands like the Flip Flop “everything” sauce along with Ace exclusive brands such as Loud Mouth Barbecue brand rubs. 

“It’s called niche product and I source it all directly,” shared Lori Tracey Stobbe, “All of this; home and gift, a lot of the patio, toys and games, the garden center. That is all product that we source outside of Ace because it makes the store a lot more than a hardware store. We really wanted to make this place some thing that both men and women, families with little kids, would want to go to. We’ve customized it in a way so that when you walk in, there’s something new for everybody.”

As the brand’s 100 year anniversary approaches, the Stobbes say they are incredibly grateful for the support from the community during their first year. 

“I would just like to say how thankful I am to the Fayetteville community, honestly, truly, legitimately. I mean, we came here from, Minneapolis-St. Paul. We didn't know anybody. We’ve never lived in North Carolina before and you kind of cross your fingers with adventure like this,” shared Lori Tracy Stobbe. “From the day we opened the store, people are just so welcoming and they are delightful and they’re friendly and appreciative. We couldn’t ask for better community support.”

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The community is invited to keep up to date with the latest events, sales and products on the Lori’s Ace Home & Hardware Facebook page.

 

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