SHAVERTOWN — Joe Fasula, owner of Gerrity’s Ace, Friday said the store’s mission is to provide customers with the neighborly advice and assistance they have come to expect from Ace.
“We look forward to becoming a helpful and valuable neighbor to the community, both inside and outside the walls of our store,” Fasula said.
America’s “helpful place” celebrated its grand opening in Shavertown on Friday. The store occupies the space that was the former Thomas’ Food Market.
Fasula said the store employs 18 people and he expects to increase that by 10 in the spring. He said the store will sell plenty of holiday items, including fresh and artificial Christmas trees.
It was a rather unique “ribbon cutting” event with a Husqvarna chainsaw used to cut a wooden beam, rather than the traditional ribbon being cut with over-sized scissors.
Fasula said the new Gerrity’s Ace Hardware store at 1900 North Memorial Highway brings the company’s knowledgeable and helpful service paired with the best brands to help Back Mountain residents succeed with their everyday home maintenance projects.
Fasula said this location is the fourth and largest Ace Hardware store opened by local residents and owners, the Fasula Family, who also own Gerrity’s Supermarkets. He said the company has three other Ace Hardware Stores — located in Clarks Summit, Peckville and Scranton.
Ace Hardware is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world, with more than 5,300 locally owned and operated hardware stores in approximately 70 countries.
Fasula said the new store has been designed to reflect the needs of the Back Mountain and the surrounding community, including solutions to everyday home maintenance needs and an extensive array of high-quality products in categories such as fishing, camping, boating, lawn and garden, grilling, power tools, automotive, and outdoor living.
The 17,000-square-foot store is packed with thousands of essential products and supplies, including the best brands like Husqvarna, Craftsman, Weber, Traeger, Big Green Egg, Benjamin Moore, and Scotts. Fasula said the store carries vital product offerings to help people care for their homes, including paint, hardware, electrical, plumbing, and home décor.
The grand opening festivities were held Friday morning as customers filed in to check out and purchase a wide variety of products. Activities included free donuts and coffee, grilling demonstrations — which will continue every day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. — daily prize drawings including a Weber Grill and power tools from Ego and Milwaukee, and big sales throughout the store.
Gerrity’s Ace Hardware Store information
• Store Hours: Monday through Saturday, 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
• Phone: 570-572-3100
• Store Manager: Jonathan Wagner