Aubuchon Company

What Aubuchon Company does

The Aubuchon Company is a fourth-generation, family-owned multi-brand hardware retailer founded in 1908 in Fitchburg, Massachusetts and now headquartered in Westminster, Massachusetts. The company operates 144 stores across 12 states (as of May 2026) under a portfolio of more than 20 retained local brand names including Aubuchon Hardware, Aubuchon Ace Hardware, F.L. Davis Ace, Bibens Ace Hardware, Curry Ace Hardware, Cornell's Hardware, Martin's Hardware & Building Supply, Brunswick Ace Hardware, and Ithaca Agway Ace Hardware. Its go-to-market is acquisition-led: the company targets family-owned hardware operators with $3M+ per-store revenue, anywhere in the U.S., and acquires successful independents while preserving their local brand identity and integrating them into a shared supply chain and operating platform.

The company makes money primarily through traditional brick-and-mortar retail sales of hardware, tools, paint, building materials, lawn and garden, plumbing, electrical, and related categories, complemented by an e-commerce channel via HardwareStore.com (offering BOPIS, curbside pickup, and ship-to-store) and ancillary advertising/partner revenue through the Upside digital marketplace. Pricing is unit-based with no disclosed subscription tiers. The company exited internal warehouse distribution in 2017 in favor of cooperative supply partnerships, joined the Ace Hardware Cooperative as an anchor member in September 2023 (having previously used True Value distribution), and added a Benjamin Moore paint program across 100+ stores. Operational technology includes a proprietary inventory replenishment system (Flip Flop Logic Algorithm), inventory and margin forecasting tools, self-checkout, and omnichannel order management, alongside a 1,500% pandemic-era web revenue lift.

Customer segments are split primarily between DIY homeowners and, to a lesser extent, professional contractors, with the secondary "customer" being family-owned hardware operators seeking succession solutions. The company is privately held (legal entity: W.E. Aubuchon Co., Inc.) with no disclosed outside investors; growth has been self-funded through operations and acquisition. Leadership includes fourth-generation President & CEO William E. Aubuchon IV, Executive Chairman Bernard W. Aubuchon Jr., COO/EVP Retail Josiah Gates, Chief People Officer EVP Jillian Montmarquet, and Director of Business Intelligence Jared Brown, who developed the Flip Flop Logic Algorithm and was recognized as the 2024 NHPA Young Retailer of the Year.

Name

Aubuchon Company

Legal name

W.E. Aubuchon Co., Inc.

Website

https://aubuchon.company

Company type

Private

Founded year

1908

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Aubuchon Company is a fourth-generation, family-owned multi-brand hardware retailer operating 144 stores across 12 states under retained local brand names, serving DIY homeowners and professional contractors via its acquisition-led consolidation strategy, Ace Hardware cooperative supply chain, and HardwareStore.com e-commerce platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hardware Retail

NAICS

Hardware Retailers (44414)

SIC

Retail-Misc General Merchandise Stores (5399)

akta.pro primary industry

General Home Improvement & Hardware Stores (CRAIADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Consumer Electronics & Appliances Online Retailers (CRAFADAD), Consumer Electronics & Appliances Omnichannel (CRAFAEAC)

Keywords

• Hardware retail stores
• Home improvement supplies
• Building materials retail
• Tools and paint supplies
• Lawn and garden products

Headquarters

HQ city

Westminster

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Retail Sales: Traditional brick-and-mortar hardware retail through 100+ store locations selling hardware, tools, building materials, paint, lawn & garden, and related products. Revenue increased 1,500% for online channel during pandemic.
2. E-commerce Sales: Online sales through HardwareStore.com with buy online pickup in store, curbside pickup, and ship-to-store options.
3. Upside Cash Back Partnership: First hardware retailer on Upside's digital marketplace platform, offering customers unique cash back opportunities. Partnership drives foot traffic and customer engagement.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Aubuchon Company operates a multi-brand network of 144 family-affiliated hardware retail stores across 12 states under names including Aubuchon Hardware, Aubuchon Ace Hardware, and over 20 retained local brands acquired from independent operators. Stores sell hardware, tools, paint, lawn & garden, building materials, plumbing, electrical, automotive, and outdoor power equipment, complemented by HardwareStore.com e-commerce with buy online pickup in store, curbside pickup, and ship-to-store options. In-store services include screen repair, glass and key cutting, paint color matching, propane fills/exchanges, equipment rental, and small engine repair at select locations.

Product overview

The Aubuchon Company is a multi-brand hardware retailing enterprise operating 144 stores across 12 states as of June 2026. The company operates primarily under its core Aubuchon Hardware and Aubuchon Ace Hardware brands, supplemented by over 20 acquired local hardware store brands that retain their original names post-acquisition. The portfolio includes full-line hardware stores, building supply centers, farm & garden centers, and home centers of varying sizes. Key acquired brands include F.L. Davis Ace (Arkansas), Spangler's Ace Hardware (Pennsylvania), Depault's Ace Hardware (Rhode Island), Ithaca Agway Ace Hardware (New York), Bibens Ace Hardware (Vermont), Curry Ace Hardware (Massachusetts), Zimmerman's Hardware (Maryland), Cornell's Hardware (New York), Martin's Hardware & Building Supply (Vermont), J.B. Hostetter & Sons (Pennsylvania), and multiple True Value locations. The company also operates HardwareStore.com as its e-commerce platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aubuchon Hardware Stores Full-line retail hardware stores offering hardware, paint, lawn & garden, tools, plumbing, electrical, building materials, automotive supplies, and outdoor power equipment, plus in-store services such as screen repair, glass and key cutting, paint color matching, propane fills/exchanges, equipment rental, and small engine repair at select locations. Targets DIY homeowners, professional contractors, and tradespeople across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast United States.
• Aubuchon Ace Hardware Stores Co-branded hardware retail stores combining the Aubuchon Company retail expertise with Ace Hardware's product assortment, supply chain, marketing support, and cooperative buying power, plus access to the Ace rewards program and expanded paint lines including Benjamin Moore.
• HardwareStore.com E-commerce Platform Company-owned online shopping platform offering category-based shopping, product location lookup by aisle, online-only offers, Buy Online Pickup In Store (BOPIS), contactless curbside pickup with online check-in, and ship-to-store fulfillment across the full hardware, paint, tools, and lawn & garden assortment.
• In-Store Services Value-added retail services offered at store locations including screen repair, glass cutting, key cutting, paint color matching, propane fills and exchanges, equipment rental, and small engine repair at select locations, designed to drive store traffic and support DIY homeowners and professional contractors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Web revenue increased 1,500% during pandemic
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• UpsideminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 26 October 2023First hardware retailer on Upside's digital marketplace. Partnership offers customers unique cash back opportunities beyond traditional food and fuel categories. Upside transforms brick-and-mortar commerce with over $5 billion in annual commerce flowing through its platform, having returned $575 million in cash to users and generated $1.3 billion in profit for retailer partners.
• Ace Hardware CooperativecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023In September 2023, the Aubuchon Company joined the Ace Hardware Cooperative, becoming an anchor member. This partnership has powered their most ambitious era of growth, providing access to Ace's supply chain, marketing support, and cooperative buying power. The partnership enables cobranding (Aubuchon Ace Hardware) and expanded product assortment including Benjamin Moore paint.
• True Value HardwarecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrior to joining Ace, Aubuchon operated multiple True Value stores in Pennsylvania (Bucks & Montgomery Counties). True Value provided distribution and brand affiliation for their multi-brand strategy. Stores transitioned as company joined Ace Hardware Cooperative in 2023.
• North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNHPA provides training programs including Retail Management Certification Program, Foundations of Leadership course, and industry networking. Auburn's director Jared Brown received Marcus Moran Jr. Best in Class Award and participated in the Young Retailer of the Year program.
• Habitat for HumanityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership ensuring vital resources like code-compliant smoke and carbon monoxide detectors are available for Habitat for Humanity housing projects. Part of community service initiatives.
• Benjamin MooreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for paint department upgrades across 100+ store locations. Ken Moore led 100+ store projects to upgrade and modernize all paint departments with Benjamin Moore. Montpelier store dedicated to Ken Moore following his passing.
• Grange League Federation (GLF) / Agway LegacyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partnership with agricultural cooperative roots dating to 1920. Ithaca Agway Ace Hardware traces its origins to GLF founded to serve the agricultural community. Andy Boerman took ownership in 2000 when Agway divested retail locations.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Blain's Farm & Fleet: Privately held Midwestern retail chain combining hardware, automotive, farm and home categories under one banner. Comparable multi-format family-owned operator competing in similar categories to Aubuchon's larger-format stores.
• Ace Hardware: Cooperative retailer of which Aubuchon is an anchor member since September 2023; Ace's network competes head-on in the same product categories, customer segments (DIY and pro contractors), and geographies as Aubuchon's cobranded and competitively positioned stores.
• True Value Company: Hardware cooperative/distributor that previously supplied Aubuchon's Pennsylvania and Maine stores before Aubuchon transitioned to Ace in 2023. Operates as a broadly comparable branded hardware model targeting independent and family-owned retailers across the US.
• Do it Best Corp: Member-owned hardware and lumber cooperative serving thousands of independent retailers across the US. Closely comparable to Aubuchon's cooperative-backed, multi-banner model with similar product mix and customer base.

Broad incumbents

• The Home Depot: Largest US home-improvement retailer; dominant competitor across core Aubuchon categories (tools, paint, lumber, lawn & garden). Comparable because it sets the national price and assortment benchmark that Aubuchon's local-service positioning must offset.
• Tractor Supply Company: Multi-category rural-lifestyle retailer with material overlap in hardware, tools, lawn & garden, and farm supplies. Comparable where Aubuchon's farm-supply-leaning acquisitions (e.g., Ithaca Agway) compete for rural customer dollars.
• Lowe's: Second-largest US home-improvement retailer with overlapping category set, pro-customer focus, and omnichannel investments. Comparable big-box incumbent shaping the same end markets Aubuchon serves.
• Orgill: Largest hardlines distributor to independent hardware retailers in North America. Peer because it competes for shelf space, assortment, and supply-chain leverage with cooperatives like Ace and Do it Best that Aubuchon and its competitors rely on.

Regional players

• Runnings: Family-owned regional farm-and-home retailer with hardware, sporting goods, and lawn & garden departments operating primarily in the Upper Midwest. Comparable catalog mix and value-oriented customer positioning to Aubuchon's Midwestern/peri-rural stores.

Emerging players

• Bomgaars Supply: Family-owned farm-and-home retailer across the Midwest with hardware, automotive, and home categories. Comparable multi-store, family-operated format and product set to Aubuchon's smaller-format and farm-supply stores.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/AubuchonHrdware
• Facebookfacebook.com/aubuchonhardware
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/about
• Instagraminstagram.com/aubuchonhardware

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aubuchon Company