improvement and remodeling services

Hardware Retail Leader and Subsidiary Receive Top Honors, Recognized as the Best Franchise Opportunities in the World by Entrepreneur Magazine

OAK BROOK, Ill. — Ace Hardware, the world’s largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative, has been awarded the prestigious ‘Best of the Best’ title in the July/August issue of Entrepreneur magazine and on Entrepreneur.com. Ace Handyman Services has also been named a ‘Best of the Best’ opportunity in the home repairs and handyman services category. This top recognition underscores Ace’s commitment to excellence, customer satisfaction, and owner support, distinguishing both Ace Hardware and Ace Handyman Services as premier franchise opportunities globally.

“This accolade of Best of the Best from Entrepreneur magazine is a testament to our dedication to helping our business owners thrive,” said John Kittell, Vice President of Retail Operations and New Business at Ace Hardware. “Our priority remains supporting our local owners with industry-leading products and services that give them a competitive edge in the marketplace. The success and growth of Ace Hardware are directly attributable to our co-op owners, who uphold our helpful brand promise daily in the communities they serve.”

Entrepreneur‘s Best of the Best Franchises ranking is based on information submitted for its annual Franchise 500® and is part of the brand’s continuing effort to best understand and evaluate the ever-changing franchise marketplace. The franchises selected as 2024’s Best of the Best are ranked not only in the increasingly competitive Franchise 500 list this year but also at the top of their respective industry categories, based on an evaluation of more than 150 data points in the areas of costs and fees, size and growth, franchisee support, brand strength, and financial strength and stability.

“Everyone wants to know who’s the best—but at Entrepreneur, we go further,” says Jason Feifer, editor in chief of Entrepreneur magazine. “With so many incredible franchises out there, we love to celebrate the absolute best of the best. It’s the perfect place for any ambitious future franchisee to start looking for their dream brand.”

Ace Handyman Services, a subsidiary of Ace Hardware, was created in 2019 and consists of locally owned franchise businesses staffed by professional craftsmen and women trained to handle a wide range of home maintenance tasks, including carpentry, plumbing, electrical, drywall, painting, and flooring.

To view Ace Hardware and Ace Handyman Services in the 2024 Best of the Best list, pick up the July/August issue of Entrepreneur magazine, on newsstands now, or visit Entrepreneur.com.

Dispatch is empowering home service brands to use customer experience as a differentiator.

BOSTON — Dispatch – the leading field service software platform for home service franchise businesses – has partnered with Ace Handyman Services to give customers Ace Hardware’s renowned expertise and customer experience for their home projects.

Ace Handyman Services – formerly Handyman Matters – is Ace Hardware’s new handyman division, created to help loyal Ace customers achieve their home improvement project goals. Ace Handyman Services allows customers to hire reliable, experienced craftsmen to come into their homes and assist with projects that may need an extra hand or some additional expertise.

Handyman Matters was a long-time customer of Dispatch, already providing an unparalleled home service experience in the handyman market with Dispatch’s powerful field service toolset. Ace Hardware saw this emphasis on customer experience – enabled by Dispatch – and acquired Handyman Matters to provide the infrastructure for their new handyman services arm.

“Ace had services on the radar for quite some time, and when they went out to find a business like ours, our core values really lined up – our already great customer reviews, and our tagline of helping you love your home” Said Chris Bue, who was in a leadership role at Handyman Matters, and is now President at Ace Handyman.

Since the acquisition, Dispatch and Ace Handyman Services have successfully implemented their offering at over 160 Ace Hardware locations and counting, creating a holistic home improvement destination at popular stores around the country.

Avi Goldberg, Dispatch Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, has seen this before – “Retailers across industries are realizing that pairing services with their retail offering is the best way to build loyalty, drive foot traffic, and provide a complete experience to their customers – and Ace has quickly become a leader in this space.”

The Dispatch Solution

Dispatch works with home service enterprises to provide visibility into the performance of their locations and independent contractors, and to enable every home service customer experience to be a modern and branded one. With the consumerization of technology and the increasing demand for modern home service delivery, brands need to evolve to stay competitive.

“Customer experience is even more important when you’re thinking about stepping into someone’s home. It’s one thing for a customer to step into your store, but when you step into the customer’s home – that attention to a customer’s needs, and just showing respect and being truly helpful is really very important ” – notes Aaron Williams, Ace Handyman’s VP of Technology.

When using Dispatch, home service brands can feel confident that the experience being delivered to their customers on their behalf is one that exceeds modern expectations.

Building Steps to Success

In a recent case study, Ace Handyman Services details how using the Dispatch platform has enabled their handyman business to scale and align with Ace Hardware’s famous focus on customer experience.

Through using Dispatch, Ace Handyman Services was able to show measurable growth across several important success indicators, leading to:

• Increased service requests
• Increased location job volume and revenue
• Increased customer satisfaction
• Higher service ratings

These results, in addition to the best-in-class service experience delivered to every Ace Handyman customer, has cemented Ace as the leader in handyman services, and enabled their explosive growth over the past year. Whether it’s in-store or in your home, the Ace Hardware brand continues to mean quality craftsmanship and superior service.

About Dispatch

Dispatch, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, is the leading provider of software solutions for enterprise service brands that rely on independent service providers. Dispatch gives service brands visibility into the performance of their independent service providers and control over the customer experience those pros deliver. Dispatch is backed by Vista Equity Partners, a leading global technology investor. Visit www.dispatch.me to learn more.