Arrow Ace Hardware is opening a new Rochester store this summer in the Crossroads Shopping Center on South Broadway.
Owner Dave Neiman said this new location will replace the southeastern Rochester one that closed in Cub Foods Plaza in December.
He hopes to open the Crossroads store in early August. The 8,400-square-foot storefront is next to Hancock Fabrics. That spot was last occupied by Logan Furniture, before that business moved to Wellner Drive Northeast.
"That center has a lot of traffic going by in front of it. It's a good place for us to be," said Neiman. "It's a little smaller than the Cub store, but that just means we need to merchandise a little differently."
Arrow Ace has three other Rochester stores. The stores are located in the Miracle Mile Shopping Center, Silver Lake Shopping Center and in the former Hollywood Video building on 37th Street Northwest.
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"We're very happy with the Rochester market. And with Destination Medical Center, it looks like there are more great days ahead," he said.
Arrow Ace employs about 30 people in Rochester. Neiman plans to hire about 10 people to staff the Crossroads store, which will be new jobs for the city. The volume of sales at his other local store has increased enough to absorb the employees who formerly worked at the Cub store.
Neiman also owns a store in Byron as well as ones in Owatonna, Northfield, Mankato, Shakopee, Chaska and St. Peter.
Oak Brook, Ill.-based Ace now has more than 4,500 stores, which are locally owned cooperatives instead of being franchises. It reports about $13 billion in annual sales.
