Latest news with #AceHardware
Forbes
11 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
One Size Does NOT Fit All: Understanding The Differences Among Customers
In Japan, there are hundreds of unique Kit Kat flavors you can't find anywhere else in the world. I don't care what month of the year it is, you're not going to find a snow shovel to buy at the Ace Hardware store in Miami, where temperatures rarely dip below 60 degrees. However, if you go to Montana or Maine, where snowfall is measured in feet rather than inches, there's a pretty good chance you'll find one nearly year-round. The point is that while most Ace Hardware stores have a similar look and feel, the management and owners of the individual stores know their customers well enough to make adjustments to meet the needs of different locations, climates, demographics and more. For a chain like Ace, one size does not fit all. The Ace Hardware example sets up the idea for this article: that all companies—large and small, international and local—must recognize the power of adapting to the local and individual preferences customers expect and demand. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Katherine Melchior Ray, co-author (with Nataly Kelly) of Brand Global, Adapt Local: Building Brand Value Across Cultures, for an episode of Amazing Business Radio. She shared much more on the concept of meeting customers' needs specific to location, culture, religion and more. For example: Those two examples demonstrate differences among cultures. The Kit Kat example is about adapting a product, while the salesperson's approach to customers is cultural. But it's more than that. Melchior Ray talked about the importance of understanding communication styles, the power of personalization to individual preference, adapting products and services for local tastes and more. Here are five ideas of the many she shared in our interview that will help you navigate the cultural, local and individual preferences and differences of your customers: Understanding and adapting to cultural differences isn't just good customer service. It's smart business in general. As Melchior Ray demonstrates through her research and examples, companies that successfully balance global brand consistency with what she refers to as 'local cultural sensitivity' create deeper connections with their customers. Whether you operate internationally or have one location that serves a diverse community (age, ethnicity, gender, etc.), the ability to recognize, respect and adapt to these differences can give you a competitive advantage and keep your customers coming back for more.
Black America Web
3 days ago
- Black America Web
Texas Man Sues Former Employer Over Alleged Racist Prank On Juneteenth
Source: Christopher Murray / EyeEm / Getty A man in Arlington, Texas, filed a lawsuit this week alleging the manager at the hardware store where he formerly worked hung up a racist display on Juneteenth. According to CBS News, when Devondrick Hartsfield arrived at work at Van Marcke's Ace Hardware on Juneteenth in 2023, he was told to follow a manager into the back. When they got to the back area, the manager allegedly told Hartsfield to look up. When he did, he saw a black backpack hanging from a noose. 'I took it as a Black man being hung, dismembered. The bag to me looked to me like a Black man who was hung and dismembered,' Hartsfield told CBS. The manager's explanation was that it wasn't a racist prank, but one targeted at the employee who left their backpack at work, but Hartsfield wasn't buying it. 'I think it was a message,' he told CBS. 'I don't think it was a misunderstanding. It was a message. It happened on Juneteenth, and it was a black monster backpack at that. So I feel like it was a message.' Hartsfield said he was the only Black employee at the hardware store and had only been working there for four months as a delivery driver. He told the company that he would refuse to return to work unless an investigation was launched and someone was held accountable for the racist prank. Hartsfield's lawsuit states that an investigation was never launched and that he was fired two weeks after filing a complaint with human resources. This allegedly occurred despite a statement released by the hardware store in 2023 saying an investigation would be launched. 'Van Marcke's Ace Hardware would like to assure you and the entire community that any allegations of racism; or any discrimination is being thoroughly investigated and addressed with the utmost urgency. We take such incidents seriously and are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for both our employees and customers,' the statement read. Hartsfield has said Juneteenth has become 'a painful reminder' of the incident. 'Instead of a celebration, it's actually a reminder of someone traumatizing me for the rest of my life.' Hartsfield's lawsuit is seeking at least $1 million in damages for the alleged mental anguish and loss of earnings. The noose has long been a symbol of America's sordid history of lynching and has become racists' favorite way to showcase that they don't get down with Black people. In 2019, charges were filed against four Florida firefighters after a hangman's noose was placed in the workspace of a Black firefighter. In 2020, a white man in Michigan went on a tirade and threatened to kill several Black people with a noose. Even more concerningly, there's been an uptick in incidents involving Black people being hanged from trees. Javion Magee was found hanging from a tree in North Carolina last year. Investigators said that he bought the rope himself and committed suicide, though his family is doubtful that was the case. Trevonte Jamal Shubert-Helton was found hanging from a tree in Georgia last year, and once more, investigators were quick to label it a suicide despite Georgia having a sordid history of lynching. Only a couple of weeks ago, a Black man was found hanging from a tree in Albany, N.Y. While the official line on all these cases was that they were suicides, America's history of lynching Black bodies makes it hard to take them at face value. What makes Hartsfield's case more disheartening is that Juneteenth specifically marks the day when news of the Emancipation Proclamation finally made its way to Galveston, Texas. In a state where Juneteenth holds such a special significance, the employees should've known better than to even consider putting up a noose given what it historically represents. 'Cause at the end of the day, if the prank was really about the backpack, they could've hidden it, not hung it. SEE ALSO: Racist Imprisoned For Noose Threats Lawyers Compare Javion Magee Hanging To Emmett Till SEE ALSO Texas Man Sues Former Employer Over Alleged Racist Prank On Juneteenth was originally published on
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Church Street Cowboy Freedom Ride in Gibson City
GIBSON CITY, Ill. (WCIA) — The second annual Church Street Cowboy Freedom Ride in Gibson City is happening Saturday to remember a familiar face gone too soon. WCIA's partners with the Ford County Chronicle reported that for a number of years, Colin Kristensen would roam the streets of Gibson City, easily identified by his signature cowboy hat and flowing, dark hair. Kristensen was nicknamed the 'Church Street Cowboy' because of the hat and boots he was rarely seen without, and that he grew up on Church Street. Lincoln Trail Homestead State Park & Memorial holding scavenger hunt On May 30, 2023, 17-year-old Kristensen was killed in a single-vehicle accident just outside of town while driving his favorite country roads and listening to music before having to go to work at Ace Hardware. A little over a year later on June 21, 2024, the inaugural Church Street Cowboy Freedom Ride took place in his memory. Colin's father Jay said that his son not only had a strong faith, but a great love of the country and the military as well. 'When he was young, Colin was that little kid that would see that older fellow walking through the store or down the street, with some form-over hat showing they had served, and go shake his hand and thank them for their service,' Jay said. Colin's family decided to donate all profits from the freedom ride to benefit veterans in his honor. Last year, the ride raised enough to cover half the cost of a tracked, all-terrain 'wheelchair' for the Fallen Outdoors organization for use with disabled veterans for various outdoor activities. U of I hosting STEM academic boot camp for student veterans This year, an additional beneficiary has been added: Mission K9 Warrior, which trains and supplies service dogs to those suffering from PTSD to help battle the '22-a-day' epidemic of veteran suicide. 'Three of Colin's classmates and himself were all talking with Marine recruiters throughout their senior year of high school with their ambitions set on shipping out to basic training the summer after graduation,' Jay said. 'His three friends are now all active-duty Marines, and no doubt there would likely be a fourth if circumstances were different.' This year's event is taking place on June 21 and is open to all vehicle types, with registration being $20. The event is beginning at Mark's on First at 120 E 1st Street in Gibson City and then travel to Mansfield, Sadorus and Fisher and back to the starting point for an evening of free concerts. The Josh Holland Band out of Decatur will be the opening act, followed by Nashville recording artists Cody Parks and Dirty South. More information on the event can be found on the Church Street Cowboy Freedom Ride Facebook page. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
19-06-2025
- The Independent
Ace Hardware employee files million-dollar suit after alleging manager hung a noose in warehouse on Juneteenth
An Ace Hardware store employee has filed a million-dollar lawsuit in Texas after alleging that his manager hung a noose inside a warehouse on Juneteenth. Devondrick Hartsfield, who is Black, revealed he lost his job as a delivery driver after complaining that his white manager tied a black backpack from a noose in 2023, which Hartsfield said was an act of racial discrimination, according to a lawsuit seen by the newspaper Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Hartsfield said his supervisor, a white man, claimed it was 'a prank' because another staff member left it behind. Despite receiving an apology, Hartsfield has now taken matters further. Juneteenth signifies the emancipation of enslaved African Americans in the U.S. Hartsfield told CBS News at the time that he had worked at the store for four years and believed he was the only Black employee. The lawsuit documents, filed Tuesday in Dallas County, Texas, just two days before this year's Juneteenth, named the store as Van Marcke's Ace Hardware in Arlington, Texas. In the suit, Hartsfield's manager, whom the Star-Telegram has not named, is alleged to have shown Hartsfield the noose as they walked through the warehouse. Hartsfield returned to the warehouse later that day with a cashier as his witness to take pictures of the offensive display, which he later included in a report to the store's human resources department. The noose was still hanging in the warehouse the following day, according to the suit. Hartsfield told CBS Fort Worth that he was afraid of his workplace. "Before we walked to the door, he told me to look up, and I looked up, and when I looked back at him, he was like, 'It's a joke, Juan left his backpack,'" Hartsfield said. "And when I looked back up, I saw the noose with the rope, and I was like, 'What the hell?'" Hartsfield stated that after filing a discrimination complaint, he was suspended and replaced by an employee who was not Black, according to the suit. His lawyer is now pushing for a compensation payout. 'Mr. Hartsfield raised legitimate concerns about a racially hostile work environment,' Hartsfield's lawyer Jason Smith said. 'Instead of addressing them responsibly, Ace Hardware's management effectively ended his employment.' At the time of the alleged display, the store posted a statement that read: "Van Marcke's Ace Hardware would like to assure you and the entire community that any allegations of racism or any discrimination are being thoroughly investigated and addressed with the utmost urgency. We take such incidents seriously and are committed to creating a safe and inclusive environment for both our employees and customers."
Tom's Guide
17-06-2025
- General
- Tom's Guide
I got fed up wasting time using a weed whacker to remove weeds, so I tried an electric pressure washer instead — here's what happened
I've been a first-time homeowner for two and a half years now and one thing I've learned in that time is that weeds are annoying. Like really, they're relentless and take up a lot of my time during the weekends — especially with the pavers on my driveway that can easily be inundated by them. For the past two summers, I've been using my Greenworks weed whacker to whittle away at those stubborn weeds around my pavers. All of my effort has been futile. I finally got fed up using my weed whacker and decided to try an electric pressure washer. Here's what happened. You'll find several handy uses with the Stihl REA 100 Plus electric pressure washer, which features a maximum pressure of 2,200 psi. It comes with a hose attachment, 19.5-foot hose length, and a battery pack to let you pressure wash just about anywhere thanks to its all-electric check: $649 @ Ace Hardware Having watched so many gardening hacks and videos on TikTok and Instagram, I know how well some of them could be at my weed problem at home — like the time I tried the viral Grampa's Weeder. For my pavers though, I tried out the Stihl REA 100 Plus electric pressure washer to see how effective it is over using my weed whacker. After making sure the battery pack was charged, I connected the 3-in-1 nozzle and built-in detergent hose to the reel, which neatly is rolled up inside of the unit and offers 19.5 feet of length. On the other end, I connected my water supply hose line for continuous use. It took me a few tries and switching through all the nozzle spray options to figure out what was most effective at removing stuck-on weeds in between my pavers, but once I figured it out, I was impressed at how effortlessly it blasted them away. Some of the deeper-rooted weeds that often came back when I used my weed whacker were no match this time against the Stihl REA 100 Plus. That's because this all-electric pressure washer delivers a maximum pressure of 2,200 psi, which allows the water stream to penetrate deeper into the areas in between the pavers. Normally it would take me about 30 minutes to carefully go through the same small patch of pavers with my weed whacker, but the Stihl REA 100 Plus' intensive stream does it half the time. However, there were still some weeds that survived the first pass — but they appeared to be dying the following day. Trying to get the same results would've taken me much longer with my weed whacker, as well as going through more string trimmer lines. Overall, I'm surprised by how much quicker it is to use a pressure washer for removing weeds in between pavers. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. In the subsequent weeks, I found other uses with the Stihl REA 100 Plus. I've actually used to clean off the sides of my Traeger wood pellet grill and also the siding around my home. There's also another set of pavers closer to my garage that are covered in moss, but the Stihl REA 100 Plus made it way easier to blast them off. I've tried countless times with my weed whacker, but found it ineffective and time-intensive. And finally, I really like how it's compact and portable to carry around all around my property for all sorts of jobs. Due to its battery power, it's also extremely quiet to operate. For those that need to use it elsewhere without access to a water hose line, I really love how I can connect it to a water tank or bucket to supply it with water — making it much more travel friendly that a traditional gas-powered pressure washer.
