MITCHELL — For 50 years, Ben Franklin/Ace Hardware has been more than a local store. It has been a familiar part of the Mitchell community, serving generations of customers and building lasting relationships along the way.
On Saturday, September 12, the store celebrated its 50th anniversary with a Customer Appreciation event, bringing community members together to mark five decades of service, memories, and local support.
The story of Ben Franklin/Ace Hardware began in 1976, when Sam and Sandy Carnell and their children, Stewart and Suzanne, moved from Illinois to Mitchell. Drawing on his years of retail experience with Sears, Sam decided to open a business of his own.
The family opened a Ben Franklin variety store in the Mills Shopping Center, in the location now occupied by Dollar General. What began as a new business venture would eventually become a five-decade family tradition.
In 1997, following the dissolution of the Ben Franklin corporate chain, Carnell joined the Ace Hardware cooperative. The following year brought another major change when the store moved into the former Jay C Store building and reopened as Ben Franklin/Ace Hardware.
Over the years, the store became deeply rooted in the Mitchell community, with Carnell and his family developing strong connections with the people they served.
“We have great people. From the day we opened to the day I retired. We’ve gotten to do so many neat things,” Carnell said.
For Suzanne Patton, who grew up alongside the family business, Ben Franklin/Ace Hardware has always been more than just a store.
“I was 13 when we moved here, and he [Sam Carnell] opened a business, and I always wanted to be a part of it. So, it’s just always been part of my family, and my big dream when I was a kid was to run it,” Patton said.
That dream became a reality in 2020, when Marvin and Suzanne Patton purchased Ben Franklin/Ace Hardware from Carnell. Since then, the couple has continued the store’s legacy, carrying forward the commitment to quality products, friendly service, and strong community relationships that has defined the business for decades.
The 50th anniversary celebration reflected that connection to the community. Customers enjoyed free food, anniversary T-shirts, Ace merchandise, music, and tool demonstrations. The store also featured a nostalgic display of photographs and memories from the past 50 years, giving visitors a chance to look back at the people and moments that helped shape the business.
Guests could also take photos with Ben the Bear and enter for a chance to win a $300 shopping spree at Ben Franklin/Ace Hardware.
At precisely 11:30 a.m., the highly anticipated drawing was held, with Iris Johnson announced as the lucky winner of the $300 shopping spree.
For the Pattons, however, the celebration was about much more than a giveaway or an anniversary. It was an opportunity to thank the community that has supported Ben Franklin/Ace Hardware for the past half-century.
The store’s owners expressed their gratitude to everyone who stopped by to celebrate and to those who have continued to support the business throughout the years.
“I just want to thank everybody from the bottom of my heart. I appreciate everything and hope to be around for a long time,” Marvin Patton said.
After 50 years, Ben Franklin/Ace Hardware remains a familiar part of Mitchell, a business built on family, community, and generations of customers who have helped make its story possible.
