Ace mulls bid for Sears’ home services unit: report

OAK BROOK, Ill. — Ace Hardware and investment firm Centerbridge Partners are together considering a bid for Sears’ home services business, sources told Reuters. The offer would pit the two companies up against Eddie Lampert, whose hedge fund made a $500 million offer for parts of the division earlier this year and is expected to bid more than $2 billion to take over the floundering retailer altogether. The deadline for initial bids in the bankruptcy auction is Wednesday.