After 149 years serving the people of Warsaw, Ace Hardware of Warsaw, Inc. will be closing its doors.

WARSAW —   After 149 years serving the people of Warsaw, Ace Hardware of Warsaw, Inc. will be closing its doors. 

This week, current owners Jim and Bambi Maze announced plans to retire and close the business.

A special retirement sale will be held Thursday, July 19, through Wednesday, July 25. Store hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.Sunday. The sale will include low liquidation prices and door prizes.

Maze cited the reasons for closing the business as, ““Losing sales, losing profits and we’re ready to retire.”

“We have begun to recognize that this store has grown and grown and then we get all of the big box competition and this store is too big to be efficient for what it is,” Maze explained. “A hardware store can be successful here – I know it can, but it would have to be a convenience, a small scale fix and repair, nuts and bolts, with maybe five employees rather than 35.”

A hardware business started in 1869 by John Grabner joined a cooperative hardware-buying group known as Ace Hardware Stores in 1938. The business evolved with Andy Goshert as the owner, along with his son, Lew. The hardware store offered propane service to the community as well.

Members of the Maze family have been involved with the business since the 1950s when Ned Maze became a partner. In 1954, the business was incorporated as Ace Hardware of Warsaw, Inc. Later in the 50s, the business divided the hardware and propane business. Ned Maze purchased Ace Hardware of Warsaw, Inc. from the Gosherts, who continued with the propane gas business.

Jim Maze joined in 1970. In 1987 and again in 2006, the business was awarded the Dimensions in Excellence award by the Warsaw Chamber of Commerce. In 2008 Jim and Bambi Maze became the sole owners of Ace Hardware of Warsaw, Inc.

According to Maze, “Previously K-Mart, Wal-Mart and Lowe’s all had an impact on our market share. We closed our floral department because it was unprofitable due to increased competition, labor costs and spoilage. The next few years, Menards, Meijer, Big R and online vendors like Amazon entered our market, which all contributed to our sales declining.”

Maze said they have spent the past five years attempting to sell the store. 

“We have realized that isn’t going to happen so we’ve decided to close our business,” Maze stated. “We are ready to retire, so now is the time for us to move on.” According to Maze, the building will be listed for sale or lease next week as well. 

“We’re relieved, we’re happy – it’s a good thing,” said Maze. “We’re ready to retire and it’s going to be fun,”

“The toughest thing for us is the good friend customers who come up to the door and see that it’s closed  and they’re walking away.,” Maze said. “That’s hard to watch. But it’s going to be so busy starting Thursday that it’ll all be okay.” 

Kevin Bonnet, regional director of Wingate Sales Solutions, stated that Wingate was hired to help with the retail liquidation sale.

“We’re specialists in helping plan store closing sales tailored to specific needs,” said Bonnet. “We’ll be giving away a couple of thousand dollars worth of prizes at the end of the sale as a thank you to the community for all the years of business.”

Bruce Woodward, president of the Kosciusko Redevelopment Commission, has been working part-time at Ace Hardware of Warsaw, Inc. since April. Woodward said he was selected as the “Ace Hardware of Warsaw Customer of the Month” in the mid 90s.

“I’ve been a customer here for thirty years,” Woodward said. “Warsaw is losing an icon.”

Pictured is owner Jim Maze. “We’re relieved, we’re happy – it’s a good thing,” said Maze. “We’re ready to retire and it’s going to be fun,”

After 149 years serving the people of Warsaw, Ace Hardware of Warsaw, Inc. will be closing its doors.