PLAINVIEW — For three weeks now, Plainview residents have enjoyed the benefits of a new hometown hardware store. But the May 4 opening of Bulldog Ace Hardware was not the beginning, nor is it the end, of a long expansion journey for Floydada Ace proprietor Wesley Anderson. In fact, bringing his special brand of small town service to Plainview has been a longstanding dream of his.
“It’s actually been a dream since 2010,” Anderson said. “Being in Floydada and doing what we did over there, I was like ‘Plainview needs an Ace.'”
And while the dream has been stewing for over a decade, the pieces really started to fall into place over the past year.
“Everything just lined up. I spoke with (Manager Riley Curb) in late August, and he was interested in managing it and taking it on, and things just lined up,” Anderson said. “We started looking for a location and started getting approval from Ace, and it all went together.”
When asked how he pulled it off, Anderson takes no credit.
“Luck. God. Is it luck or God? I tend to lean towards God,” Anderson said.
The store is located at Olton Road and Ennis Street in the former Ramsower’s Furniture storefront. Getting the building ready was just another piece of the puzzle.
“Ramsower’s closed up last summer and so this building was available,” Anderson said. “This had the old asbestos tile. Fortunately the landlord paid for the remediation and took care of that.”
Anderson says he also had the concrete sanded and sealed, all of the lighting and electrical replaced, and even still has some finishing touches to go.
Even with all the blood, sweat and tears that Anderson and his crew are pouring into the new Plainview store, he says that the Floydada flagship is not going anywhere.
“We’re staying in Floydada,” Anderson said. “Right now this store is like a newborn that wants to be fed every few hours. We just have to get it good and established.”
Bulldog Ace Hardware, located at 3210 Olton Rd. is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Saturday. The store will have a grand opening on June 11.
