New “Helpful Place” Coming Soon to Rockville and Union Market

Two New Employee-Owned Ace Hardware Stores Scheduled to Open by 2026 

WASHINGTON, DC – The Cool Hardware Company is expanding its footprint with two new Ace Hardware locations opening in Rockville, MD and Washington, DC’s Union Market neighborhood. 

Set to open in late 2025 and late 2026 respectively, Rockville Ace Hardware and Union Market Ace Hardware will join the Cool Hardware Company’s network of employee-owned Ace Hardware stores throughout the DC, Baltimore, and Northern Virginia metro areas.  

These new stores will bring the company’s signature mix of a more personal kind of helpful, top brands like Craftsman, Weber, Traeger, and Benjamin Moore, assortments of live goods, locally made products and a deep commitment to community engagement. Customers can expect knowledgeable, friendly service and expert advice in departments such as paint, lawn and garden, and grilling. 

Rockville Ace Hardware will be located at 835 Rockville Pike in Wintergreen Plaza, just one mile from the Rockville Metro station. The 11,000-square-foot store will be neighbors with Food Lion and several popular dining spots. It is scheduled to open in late 2025. 

Following in late 2026, Union Market Ace Hardware will open at 1234 3rd St. NE within the Central Armature Works development. Occupying two levels and totaling over 9,150 square feet, this location is just steps from the NoMa–Gallaudet Metro station, providing easy access to residents and businesses in one of D.C.’s fastest-growing neighborhoods. 

Both stores will reflect the Cool Hardware Company’s commitment to being “The Helpful Place” by delivering expert advice, locally relevant product assortments, and a welcoming neighborhood experience. Customers can expect top brands like Craftsman, Weber, Traeger, and Benjamin Moore, alongside live goods, locally sourced products, and friendly, knowledgeable team members ready to help with projects of all sizes. 

These will mark the 14th and 15th locations for the Cool Hardware Company led by CEO Craig Smith and founded by Gina Schaefer and Marc Friedman in 2003. In 2021, the company began operating as an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), which allows team members to earn shares of company stock and build long-term wealth as the business grows. 

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About the Cool Hardware Company 

The Cool Hardware Company is a unique cooperative of employee-owned Ace Hardware stores in the DC and Baltimore metro areas founded by Gina Schaefer and Marc Friedman. As a member of the Ace co-op, the Cool Hardware Company strives to be the most neighborhood-oriented home improvement stores around. We are proud to be known as "The Helpful Place," exemplified by our exceptional customer service, extensive product knowledge, and stellar team of sales associates. Founded in 2003, the Cool Hardware Company became employee-owned in 2021 through an Employee Ownership Stock Ownership Plan. Learn more about the Cool Hardware Company at www.acehardwaredc.com, our store Facebook pages, and our company Instagram account at @cool_hardware.  

About Ace Hardware 

For more than 100 years, Ace Hardware has been known as the place with the helpful hardware folks in thousands of neighborhoods across America, providing customers with a more personal kind of helpful. With more than 5,000 hardware stores locally owned and operated across the globe, Ace is the largest retailer-owned hardware cooperative in the world. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace and its subsidiaries currently operate 17 distribution centers in the U.S. and have distribution capabilities in Ningbo, China; Colon, Panama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Its retailers' stores are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and approximately 60 countries. For more information on Ace, visit acehardware.com or visit our newsroom at newsroom.acehardware.com.