Ace Hardware will expand distribution center in Suffolk

Ace Hardware Corp. plans to expand an existing 336,000-square-foot distribution center in Suffolk by 138,000 square feet. The company said construction on the project is expected to begin in April. The target completion date is November. According to CenterPointe Properties, the property developer, the expansion will bring more than 70 construction jobs to the community.

Lori Bossman, a spokesperson for Ace Hardware, said in a statement that “Ace’s continued year-over-year sales growth has fueled our need for a larger facility in Suffolk.” 

Ace’s Redistribution Center in the city serves as the company’s East Coast hub for receiving import merchandise through the nearby Port of Virginia. Once the expansion is complete, products received at the Suffolk facility will be distributed to 10 of Ace Hardware’s 14 retail support centers that serve Ace retail stores as far away as Texas, New York and Florida. 

Ace Hardware was the first tenant at CenterPoint Intermodal Center in 2012. “Ace Hardware was one of the first companies to choose the Port of Virginia as a location to deploy their supply chain diversification strategy, and this announcement speaks to Virginia’s ability to cultivate and grow businesses as well as compete in the global marketplace,” said John Reinhart, CEO and executive director of the Virginia Port Authority.