MITCHELL — Ben Franklin/Ace Hardware in Mitchell has earned fourth place among 43 stores in its district, an achievement owners Marvin and Suzanne Patton say reflects the loyalty of local customers and the dedication of the store’s employees.
Kamren Wray, Sheila White, Ben the Bear, Debbie Green, Suzanne Patton, Jayda Butcher and Paula Ely. Kneeling are Randy Young and Lydia Pfaff.
Other Ben Franklin/Ace Hardware team members not pictured are Rod Burton, Chris Carlisle, Hayley Dixon, Debbie Ellis, Abby Kleihege, Kim Leonard, Bill Miller, Brian Tackett and Harold White.
The district includes Indiana stores, along with several locations in Ohio. According to the Pattons, the rankings are based on several performance measures, including customer satisfaction surveys, online orders, transaction counts, Helpful Hardware Club memberships and overall sales.
“We would like to thank our customers for getting us the great rating,” Suzanne Patton said. “Pretty good for a small-town store.”
The recognition comes as the locally owned business prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary with a customer appreciation event on Sept. 12. The celebration will feature a live remote broadcast by a local radio station, prize giveaways, hot dogs, cookies and a display showcasing the history of the store.
The business traces its roots to 1976, when Sam and Sandy Carnell and their children, Stewart and Suzanne, moved from Illinois to Mitchell and opened a Ben Franklin variety store in the Mills Shopping Center, the site now occupied by Dollar General.
Sam Carnell brought years of retail experience to the venture after working for Sears, including at Chicago’s Sears Tower, before deciding to open his own business.
When the Ben Franklin corporate chain dissolved in 1997, Carnell joined the Ace Hardware cooperative. The following year, the business relocated across the street into the former Jay C Store building and became Ben Franklin/Ace Hardware, combining the variety store’s traditional merchandise with Ace Hardware’s nationally recognized hardware brand.
Marvin and Suzanne Patton purchased Ben Franklin/Ace Hardware from Carnell in 2020 and have continued its tradition as a locally owned business serving the Mitchell community. The Pattons have two children, Elizabeth Sons and Heather Dearman.
Ace Hardware is the world’s largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative, with more than 5,200 locally owned stores worldwide. The cooperative has consistently received national recognition for customer satisfaction and customer service.
As Ben Franklin/Ace Hardware approaches its golden anniversary, the Pattons say the recent district ranking belongs to the community that has supported the business for five decades.
“Every visit, every purchase and every word of support has helped make Ben Franklin/Ace Hardware what it is today,” the store said in its announcement. “Shop local. Support local. Love local.”
