OAK BROOK, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ace Hardware Corporation and its Board of Directors are pleased to announce that effective today, John Venhuizen has been named President and CEO of the nation’s largest hardware cooperative.
Venhuizen’s appointment to this role has been part of a strategic leadership transition that was announced last September. At that time, Venhuizen was named President and COO of Ace Hardware Corporation, while Ace’s outgoing leader, Ray Griffith, maintained the title of CEO.
Venhuizen brings a wealth of experience to the position with a career already spanning more than 20 years at Ace. Since joining the cooperative in 1992, Venhuizen has served in numerous roles, including COO, Vice President of Business Development, Retail Development, Retail Training and International.
Recently, Ace Hardware unveiled “2020 Vision,” driven by Venhuizen, it is Ace’s long-term customer-focused strategy designed to grow the Ace brand and help Ace retailers improve their stores’ performance.
“John has already made an indelible imprint on Ace Hardware and he will continue to do so at the helm of this great organization,” said David Ziegler, Chairman, Ace Hardware Board of Directors. “We are pleased with the momentum of the business, particularly with the launch of 2020 Vision. Ace’s Board of Directors is confident that Ace will grow and prosper under John’s passionate leadership.”
Venhuizen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration with a marketing concentration from Trinity Christian College; he resides in the Western Suburbs of Chicago.
About Ace Hardware
For nearly 90 years, Ace Hardware has been known as the helpful hardware store in thousands of neighborhoods across America, providing customers with a more personal kind of helpful. With more than 4,600 hardware stores locally owned and operated across the globe, Ace is the largest hardware cooperative in the industry. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace and its subsidiaries currently operate 14 distribution centers in the U.S. and also have distribution capabilities in Shanghai, China; Panama City, Panama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Its retailers' stores are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and approximately 60 countries. For more information on Ace, visit www.acehardware.com.