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ROMMEL’S ACE DONATES INVENTORY WORTH OVER $1 MILLION TO HABITAT FOR HUMANITY RESTORES

Fruitland, MD (February, 2012)-Rommel’s Ace, a chain of eleven locally owned and operated hardware stores in MD, DE, and VA, donated over $1 million in inventory to regional Habitat for Humanity ReStores.

This generous donation is the result of Rommel’s Ace decision to remove discontinued inventory across the chain in an effort to re-merchandise all stores before the start of the spring selling season. 

“It’s strong community partners like Rommel’s Ace who help us achieve our mission,” said Jim Phillips, Manager, Wicomico County Habitat’s ReStore.  “Their donation helps us respond to families who need simple, decent and affordable  housing right here in Wicomico County and all over the Maryland, Delaware and Virginia areas.” 

Habitat for Humanity of Wicomico County – a local Christian non-profit housing ministry – has partnered with 58 local families to build homes. These families are offered a “hand up” out of poverty housing.  After completing 300 “sweat equity” hours and pre-homeownership classes, these families purchase the home that they helped construct using a 30 year no interest mortgage held by Habitat.  Habitat’s next project is our “Building on Faith” home, located at 202 Linwood Avenue, in the Church Street neighborhood in Salisbury, Maryland.

ReStore volunteers are busy stocking the shelves with the donations, and are eager for customers to see the new inventory. The ReStore is a resale center for donated appliances, cabinets, furniture, and building supplies. Located at 908 W. Isabella Street in Salisbury, Maryland, the store is open Wednesday-Friday 10 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and Saturday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.  For more information about the ReStore call 410-749-6325 or visit www.wicomicohabitat.org/restore. 

ACE is the helpful, hardware...and now-yummy store!
Purchase Girl Scout cookies at all Rommel’s locations

Fruitland, MD (January 31, 2012)-Those shopping for a shovel, ice scraper or home tools can get a special treat at 8 of Rommel’s ACE Home Centers across the Delmarva region.

On consecutive Saturdays, Feb. 11 and 18, Girl Scouts from across the region will be selling those delectable Trefoils, Samoas, Thin Mints and all of the  yummy cookie types from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. Pick up your winter home needs at ACE and help support your local Girl Scouts.

8 ROMMEL’S ACE HOME CENTER LOCATIONS

NEW MANAGER NAMED AT DOVER ROMMELS’S ACE

Fruitland, MD (December 20, 2011) - Rommel’s Holdings has announced that James Diemel, 27 has been named the new general manager of the Dover, Del. Rommel’s Ace Hardware store.

Diemel, a native of Salisbury, Md., began with Rommel’s Ace soon after finishing high school. He started his upward career in the warehouse and seven years later became general manager of the Dover store. Diemel previously worked in the Ocean City, Salisbury and Exmore Rommel’s Ace hardware stores.

As the manager of 10 employees, Diemel says the store has been in Dover since 2004 and has grown into the “community hardware store.”

“I really like being with Rommel’s Holdings because we have a sincere commitment to our customers. Even as the general manager I get to interact with some great people on a daily basis. I look forward to strengthening that relationship,” says Diemel.

“We are extremely happy to have James as part of the Rommel’s ACE family,” said Dick Livingston, senior operations director at Rommel’s Holdings in Fruitland, which owns 11 ACE hardware stores in the Delmarva region. “His experience will benefit the Dover community and his customer commitment is a bonus.”

Outside of his duties running the store, James enjoys spending time outdoors, fishing, hiking and shooting.

Rommel's Ace Dover is located 321 Independence Blvd, Ste A, Dover, DE 19904. Information: 302.674.9100. Hours are Monday through Friday 8am-9pm, Saturday 7am-9pm and Sunday 8am-6pm.

NEW MANAGER AT EXMORE ROMMELS’S ACE
From food service to hardware: Jimmy Buffett chef & restaurant manager
gets job selling tools

Jimmy Buffet (left), Rommel's ACE Exmore manager Randy Lewis (right)

Fruitland, MD (December 14, 2011) - Rommel’s Holdings announced that Randy Lewis, a former restaurant and hotelier, annual crab cake maker and frequent chef for Jimmy Buffett, has taken over the position of manager at the Exmore Rommel’s Ace in Virginia.

Lewis, of Wachapreague, VA, was named as the new manager of the Rommel’s Exmore Ace this fall by Dick Livingston, vice president of Rommel’s Holdings headquartered in Fruitland, MD. Previously Lewis worked at his family’s Wachapreague Hotel, Marina & Island House Restaurant for 35 years until his parents retired and sold the operation. Lewis grew up in Baltimore County and has a degree in hospitality management.

“We are extremely happy to have Randy as part of the Rommel’s ACE family,” says Livingston who oversees 11 Ace hardware stores in the Delmarva region. “His vast experience will benefit the Exmore community and his personality will allow for a great shopping experience for our customers.”

During Lewis’ interview with Livingston, he says he had crab cakes iced down in his car and ready for delivery to an annual seafood event he caters. “I told him I had the crab cakes in the car, Livingston jokingly replied ‘bring them in’,” says Lewis. They did not consume the crab cakes, but Lewis got the job.

The crab cakes were on their way to the Harvest Festival at the Sunset Beach Hotel held each year in Cape Charles, VA.  For 19 years Lewis has prepared anywhere from 7,000-8,000 crab cakes for the event.

Wachapreague, nicknamed “Little city by the sea,” is also known as the Flounder Capital of the World. With all of this Virginia seafood experience under his belt, Lewis was approached by a friend who met Jimmy Buffett following a concert, and asked him to create local fare for the famous singer-songwriter and his band to enjoy.

For the past 25 years whenever Buffett performs in Virginia or North Carolina, Lewis is there serving up fresh Wachapreague oysters, Eastern Shore clams, crab cakes, soft crabs and grilled local fish for him and his 40-person troupe. “Over the years, their eating habits have gotten healthier,” says Lewis, of the decrease in fried foods.

Lewis says Buffett is a “nice guy,” “is a lot more accessible” than other performers and has “surrounded himself with smart, talented people.” He is amazed by the many hats his celebrated diner wears besides singing: author, entrepreneur and movie producer. “He has Margaritaville, Cheeseburger in Paradise, books, movies, he is a brand.”

Along with several friends, Lewis helped start an Eastern Shore Parrot Head Club which focuses on getting together and finding local charities to support, besides attending Buffett’s legendary concerts. This brings us back to his people skills and being a manager.

While in the restaurant-hotel business, Lewis oversaw 50+ employees. At Rommel’s Ace he is content with the 12-15 he will eventually have during the summer months. “I like the smaller group. You can get to know each other better,” he says. “We have good people here. I ended up with a great trainer, Tom Cain and great staff support. I really rely on them during this transition.”

“I like Rommel’s because the key to their business is customer-oriented and that’s what drew me. In comparison to other customer-focused companies, we go above and beyond – which is right up my alley,” says Lewis.

Lewis is married to his “wonderful wife,” Hayley and they have three children, 6, 9 and 11 years old.

Rommel’s Ace is located at 4102 Lankford Hwy, Exmore. Information: (757) 442-4900.

CUSTOMERS RATE ACE HARDWARE NO. 1 FOR FIFTH STRAIGHT YEAR IN J.D. POWER STUDY
Rommel’s ACE beats the big box store competition

Fruitland, MD (October 18, 2011) - Home improvement store shoppers are more satisfied with store facilities, merchandise and pricing in 2011, compared with 2010, according to the recently-released J.D. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction Study.

The study, now in its fifth year, measures customer satisfaction with home improvement retail stores based on performance in five factors (listed in order of importance): staff and service (including availability, courtesy, knowledge); store facility (including ease of finding merchandise and cleanliness); merchandise (including availability and product information); price; and sales and promotions.

For a fifth consecutive year, Ace Hardware ranks highest in satisfying home improvement retail store customers. Ace Hardware achieved a score of 786 on a 1,000-point scale and performed particularly well in the two most influential factors: staff and service and store facility. Lowe's improved from a fourth ranked position in 2010 to rank second in 2011 with a score of 771, and performed particularly well in the merchandise factor. Menards retained its third ranked position from 2010 with a score of 765 and performed particularly well in the sales/promotions and price factors.

Finishing below the industry average of 754 in the 2011 ratings were Sears (749), TrueValue (742), The Home Depot (737) and Do It Best/Do It Center (708).

Not only has satisfaction with store facilities improved, compared with 2010, but also home improvement store customers indicate that they are more satisfied with store facilities than any other aspect of the retail experience.

"Shoppers, whether novices to home improvement or those who are more experienced, need not be intimidated by the store," said Christina Cooley, senior manager of the real estate and construction industries practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "Retailers have invested in improving their layouts and signage to help guide customers to the products that they are looking for."

Within the store facility factor, ease of finding desired merchandise is of primary importance to shoppers at home improvement stores.

"When customers aren't able to find the merchandise on their own, it's critical that they receive assistance quickly -- ideally within two minutes," said Cooley. "The highest-performing retailers are typically able to meet this threshold. In contrast, the average customer-reported wait time for assistance is four minutes. Customers should not hesitate to ask for assistance, as the study indicates that they can depend on retailers to help them when asked and that assistance comes
relatively quickly."

On average, customers shop at their primary home improvement retailer two to three times per month. Although most customers indicate they visit home improvement stores on weekends, there has been an increase in the percentage of shoppers who make weekday visits. In 2011, 41 percent of customers say they shop during the week, compared with 34 percent in 2010. According to Cooley, the increased incidence of weekday shopping means that retailers need to
make sure they adjust their staffing levels accordingly during the week.

There has also been an increase in 2011 in the percentage of shoppers who say they used a selfcheckout kiosk (53% in 2011 compared with 42% in 2010).

"While self-checkout is meant to be more convenient for the customer, it is not uncommon that the customer still will require some intervention from store staff, so this is another area in which retailers need to ensure proper staffing," said Cooley." To ensure a quick checkout, customers should limit using self-checkout to visits in which they are purchasing relatively few items and the bar codes are clearly identifiable on all products."

The study also finds the following key trends:

• The average customer in 2011 has spent $1,650 at home improvement retailers within the past 12 months.
• In 2011, customers spent a greater percentage of their overall annual expenditure at their primary home improvement store (72%) than in 2010 (68%).
• The 2011 U.S. Home Improvement Retailer Satisfaction Study is based on responses from more than 6,900 consumers who purchased a home improvement product or service within the previous 12 months from a store that sells home improvement products. Consumers were asked to evaluate their primary home improvement retailer. The study was fielded in March and April 2011.

(Source: J.D. Power and Associates, 05/04/11)

ROMMEL'S ACE THANKS CUSTOMERS FOR GREAT START ON DONATIONS TO WOMEN SUPPORTING WOMEN
Rommel’s ACE beats the big box store competition

Fruitland, MD (May 18, 2011) - The Women Supporting Women (WSW) fundraising effort at Rommel’s ACE stores across the Delmarva region has taken in more than $2,000 in donations during the first week of May.

Representatives from WSW continue to be in the Salisbury, Selbyville, Exmore, Seaford
and Ocean City stores each Saturday in May to share information and thank people for their donations.

WSW is a community based, community supported agency serving the Eastern Shore of
Maryland. Its mission is to provide awareness, friendship and support for breast cancer survivors and their family.

“We are extremely proud of our customers for supporting such a great organization as
Women Supporting Women. Everyone has known someone in his or her life who has faced breast cancer. The community amazed us by opening their hearts and wallets,” said Dick Livingston, vice president of Rommel Holdings, in Fruitland.

This is the second year Rommel’s ACE Hardware has invited Women Supporting Women representatives to their stores to supply information about the organization and accept donations.

WSW offers a safe, supportive environment, open to all women and men who have been
diagnosed with breast cancer. They offer free wigs and supplemental mastectomy products and help for those facing breast cancer, as well as breast cancer survivors.

The organization is non-affiliated. All funding remains on the Eastern Shore and the
organization serves people of all ages, races, religions, incomes and backgrounds.
WSW invites survivors in all stages and with all treatment options, and accepts referrals from physicians, family, friends, and survivors.

Women Supporting Women also has a Mid-Shore Chapter serving Dorchester, Talbot and Caroline counties. They are a 501(c) (3) charitable organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Website: www.womensupportingwomen.org | Information: 410-548-7880.

LOCAL BACKYARD BIRD CENTERS HIGHLIGHTED AT
ACE CONVENTION IN CHICAGO

Fruitland, MD (April 22, 2011) - The entire management team of Rommel’s Ace hardware stores attended the Spring Ace Convention in Chicago earlier this month. While there, Rommel’s managers displayed and discussed their new Backyard Bird Centers that offer an expanded line of items for birding enthusiasts.

Given special attention during the opening session, Rommel's Ace Vice President Dick Livingston of Fruitland, expressed how successful it has been for Ace stores in Severna Park and Perry Hall.

“It has been a tremendous success in our two stores. We will be expanding our bird centers to other stores in the Delmarva region,” said Livingston. “We look forward offering more of these niche products and better service to those who enjoy birding.”

The program will soon be launched nationwide and will appear in more Ace stores in the near future.

During the convention, Ace unveils new marketing efforts and exciting new products at these events. The bi-annual event offers an opportunity for all Ace owners to gather and discuss the state of the company.

Sales were up 2.1%, according to Ace Hardware Corp., and they are planning for sales growth of 3.0% in 2011 and Ace is expanding overseas. The fourth quarter was the strongest of the year – with a sales increase of 7.4%. It was also the strongest from a retail comparable-store basis with a positive 3.7%. For the year, retail comps were positive 0.7%, a big improvement from negative 6.1% in 2009.

Ace store data points to several basic factors of success: the location and size of the store, local competition, great customer service, inventory amount and mix, best retail practices, and store owner and operational practices.

NEW ‘PADDLING CENTER’ OPENS AT
SEAFORD ROMMEL'S ACE
Buy or rent kayaks and canoes

Fruitland, MD (June 14, 2011) - No need to travel far to find the kayak or canoe
you’ve been dreaming of. Just in time for summer, Rommel's ACE in Seaford, DE has
opened its new Paddling Center. Rommel’s Ace has exactly what boating enthusiasts
want in the way of sales and rentals of kayaks, canoe sales and boating accessories.

Kayaking is one of the fastest growing activities in America. This low-impact sport can
help paddlers achieve fitness while enjoying the great outdoors. Paddled boats also
minimize the carbon footprint, making them more eco-friendly. Canoes and kayaks are
economical fun for families, couples and individuals. Plus the Delmarva region has more
than 2,000 square miles of waterways to explore.

The Paddling Center features Emotion kayaks, Pelican canoes, life jackets by MTI
Adventure Wear and accessories from several national vendors. All of the product lines
were individually chosen because of the features they offer, their quality and value.

“When designing this niche it was not my goal to simply order product and put it on a
wall in hopes that it would sell… it was to bring in quality products, which were value added, and to cultivate the energy and knowledge within my staff so we can assist our
customers in enjoying the waters that are just minutes from our location,” says Seaford
store manager Bryan Burkholder. “Up until now our customers had to drive at least 30
minutes to fulfill their needs.”

Today, Rommel’s Ace trained staff can help novice and expert paddlers alike. “Speak
with my staff about our products, local waterway access locations or ‘put-ins’ and leave
feeling confident with a new purchase or rental to start your adventures,” adds
Burkholder.

Kayaks start at $249, canoes at $399, and kayak rentals (3 styles) are only $25/day,
which includes a kayak, life jacket, paddle and safety whistle.

Stop by Rommel’s Ace at 800 Norman Eskridge Hwy, Seaford, DE 19973 and start your adventure in the great outdoors! Information: (302) 628-7890

Rommel ACE stores are located in Cambridge, Ocean City, Salisbury, Perry Hall, Severna Park and Stevensville, Md., as well as Selbyville, Seaford and Dover, Del. and Chincoteague and Exmore, Va. All Rommel’s Ace stores offer the Ace Rewards card, saving consumers money toward future visits.