CHANTILLY, VA (PRWEB) June 6, 2005 -

– In honor of retiring President and CEO David Hodnik, Ace Hardware Corporation today unveiled the David F. Hodnik Ace Hardware Heritage Hall in the retailer conference reception area at its company headquarters in Oak Brook, Illinois. Researched and produced by The History Factory–a heritage management firm that helps organizations discover, preserve and leverage their history to meet today’s business challenges–the exhibit serves as a memorable dedication to Hodnik, conveys AceÂ’s heritage and character in a tangible way, and pays tribute to more than eight generations of Ace retailers and employees.

“There’s no more fitting tribute to the leader who has helped Ace Hardware make modern history than to dedicate a permanent exhibit to Mr. Hodnik,” says Bruce Weindruch, Founder and CEO of The History Factory. “We’re proud to have played a role in such a meaningful initiative.”

Bringing the exhibit to fruition involved close coordination between Ace Hardware and The History FactoryÂ’s team of researchers, designers, writers and exhibit experts. During the course of the project, the team developed an exhibit concept for the reception area based on AceÂ’s core values, conducted research, selected images and artifacts for the exhibit, and penned the text to accompany and highlight those images and artifacts.

The exhibit design draws inspiration from the hardware trade, utilizing fabrication materials ranging from exposed fasteners to plywood. It symbolizes AceÂ’s industry, and reinforces the sentiment that the Ace team has built the company from the ground up.

“Our goal with the design was to present the heritage of Ace in a visually exciting and relevant manner through the use of diverse graphics, artifacts, fabrication materials and physical forms. Ace is an exciting company and the design solution needed to be just as exciting to the viewer,” says Steve Ferretti, vice president of interpretive and design at The History Factory.

“We wanted an exhibit that pays tribute to the rich history of our company and the legacy of teamwork, service and innovation that Dave Hodnik gave Ace Hardware over the past 33 years,” said Paula Erickson, manager of corporate communications and public relations for Ace Hardware. “This historical display will certainly be relished for many years to come.”

This exhibit follows others recently produced by The History Factory, including corporate museums for Pella and USAA.

About Ace Hardware:

Ace Hardware Corp. is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the industry. Annual retail sales for AceÂ’s 4,700 hardware, home center and lumber and building materials locations top $ 13 billion. Headquartered in Oak Brook, IL, Ace currently operates 15 distribution centers in the United States and its retailers’ stores are located in all 50 states and 70 countries. More information on Ace can be found at http://www.acehardware.com.

About The History Factory:

For more than 25 years, The History Factory has been integrating the very best archival techniques, business processes, information technology and communications skills into heritage management programs for some of the worldÂ’s most-respected organizations. Companies like Ace Hardware, Brooks Brothers, Subaru of America, Pella, Kimberly-Clark, Hogan & Hartson and Sara Lee have relied on The History Factory to support anniversary events, exhibits, corporate planning, investor relations, publications, documentaries, oral histories, archives and more. The History Factory is headquartered just outside of Washington, DC, with staff in New York, Chicago, Atlanta, San Diego, Nashville and San Francisco.

For more information on The History Factory, visit http://www.historyfactory.com.

Contact:

Jennifer Myers

703-227-9572

jmyers@historyfactory.com

###