Ace shakes up distribution

OAK BROOK, Ill. — Ace Hardware has announced changes to its distribution system and its East Coast retail support network. By the first quarter of 2018, The company will open a new 1.1 million-square-foot Retail Support Center in Fredericksburg, Pa., to serve stores in Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, New Jersey, and Washington, D.C. At the same time, after studying its distribution network, Ace announced it will close its Retail Support Center in Prince George, Va., a small crossdock in the Baltimore area, and the Emery-Waterhouse operations in Portland, Maine, and Pittston, Pa. The restructuring does not affect Ace’s strategic direction for Emery Jensen Distribution, Ace’s national wholesale operation which encompasses Jensen Distribution on the west coast, and Emery-Waterhouse on the east coast.