Seventy-five years after the Groves established a hardware business in Oxford, the family name is making news once again with the new True Value Hardware in the Oxford Mills Plaza.
Formerly Ace Hardware, the store name was changed to Grove’s True Value Hardware back in July with the hopes of bringing a more community-based business to the area.
‘We felt that we wanted to be more independent and we felt our customers are looking for the independent business owners,? said Nathan Grove, owner of True Value Hardware stores.
‘They’re getting tired of the big corporate companies and the big chain store atmosphere.
Ace Hardware has been in Oxford since 1981, but the Grove family began opening businesses in Oxford in the 1930s.
Grove’s father Harold ‘Sunny? Grove opened ProMart Hardware in 1974. Grove’s great-grandfather, Harold, started the family’s tradition of owning a business back in 1930 when he opened Grove’s 5 and 10 store.
‘It’s almost like on the 75th anniversary of us doing business in town, we felt it was time to put our name back on the store,? Grove said.
The Grove family owns five other Ace Hardware stores in the cities of South Lyon, Lake Orion, Ortonville and Pontiac, all of which have changed over to True Value.
Back in March, the Groves opened a brand new True Value in Rochester.
Grove said Ace’s focus of making the stores ‘cookie cutter? and wanting ‘everybody to run the same ads like a chain? was also another reason to change the store name.
Although the store switched over in July, they are still trying to weed out Ace products to make way for new True Value items.
‘As far as the product goes, the majority is the same,? Groves said.
Not too much in the way of products will change, although the store will now carry True Value paint.
Grove said customers might even notice a reduction in some prices and more choices as well.
‘True Value also has a wider range of products available as far as the lawn and garden,? he said.
For those customers still holding on to their coveted Ace Helpful Hardware Club card, True Value will issue a new True Value Rewards card and give extra points to match whatever was on their previous Ace account.
Grove is also looking forward to easily meeting the customer’s needs.
‘We’re going to be able to choose the items that we want advertised and stock the items based on what our customers are looking for,? he said.