Our Store History :
1940’s Safeway store 9000 Roosevelt Way NE Seattle, WA
1940’s Safeway flooring; red and green tile
THROUGH THE YEARS
1940
Remnants of the once quaint Safeway store from the 1940’s can still be seen at our location to this day. It can be found in the building’s façade and the parking lot layout and even the red and green floor tiles that we walk on everyday. We are proud of the established roots of our store and relish in its timeline.
1973
In 1973 the store transitioned from Hall’s Hardware store into The Stephenson’s Hardware store. Once Tom and Karen Stephenson purchased it from Stewart Hall they began creating a friendly neighborhood place for ready advice and the latest products that could not be found anywhere else.
2005
In 2005 the store reached another pinnacle moment when it joined the co-op with Ace hardware. Mike Kelley (from Reckless Video) and Kathy Stephenson continued the store’s legacy by serving “hardware with heart” to the Maple Leaf community.
2022
In 2022 the responsibility of the store was passed onto John Mecham. A rising local who started at the bottom rung of the company in the year 2000. John has been serving the customers loyally throughout the years and has gained vast amounts of knowledge in all areas of the store.
Today . . .
These walls have seen lots of changes through the last sixty + years but what remains is the consistent dedication to serving up real hardware with real service.
So what are we?
Small business? Retailer Co-op? Franchise?
We are an independently owned small business. Our local business owner has an agreement with Ace Hardware Corporation to use them as our primary supplier as part of Ace’s co-op. The co-op agreement allows any Ace store to cooperate together to negotiate better pricing and to get a better selection of products. While Ace is our store’s primary vendor we still reserve the right to choose what products or brands to carry in our store and what services to offer in order to serve our specific community and our region.
Each individual store is unique and works hard to customize its selections. That’s why it’s very difficult to find two stores exactly alike. Just like choosing our supplier, our store can also choose to participate in any programs like Ace Rewards and any sales events. We recommend contacting your local store with questions or for any further details, after all, this is the place with the helpful hardware folks.
