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When Jeff Petersen left his Kingwood home to attend Texas A&M University in 2001—and then later, the entire state for a job in Colorado—he never imagined that he would one day return to open a hardware store with his parents along FM 1314.
Petersen also could not have predicted what that same store—J&R’s Ace Hardware, which opened in March 2019—would go on to mean to locals in Porter.
“When disasters happen, we’re there for each other,” Petersen said.
The full story
Short for “Jeff and Rusty’s,” J&R’s Ace Hardware follows a general store concept equipped with a Texas-based gift shop, garden center and a STIHL power equipment dealership.
Together, these entities offer customers a diverse assortment of core hardware products and in-store services, including U-Haul rentals, lock servicing, propane refills and exchanges, and more.
J&R’s offerings—which are curated specifically to needs encountered in the Piney Woods—of chainsaws and well parts are among its most frequently sought-out merchandise due to it being one of the only stores in the area to carry said items, Petersen said.
The local impact
The co-op business’s constantly rotating inventory ensures it carries “what customers need, when they need it,” especially during unprecedented weather emergencies, Petersen said.
In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Beryl, Petersen recalls dozens of customers pouring into his store in search of supplies, which led him to split responsibilities among his staff to meet demand.
Petersen, who has a visual impairment, said he took on the job of filling propane tanks for customers outside due to limited lighting in the store. He did so from open to close for seven consecutive days, but during this time, he said he experienced numerous acts of kindness from Porter residents.
“One of my customers was noticing, several days in, that my knees were getting bruised from having to kneel down and he brought me some foam pads from his garage for me to kneel on out there,” Petersen said.
Notable quote
The owner told Community Impact that this is just one instance out of hundreds that showcase the familial relationship between his business and the community, which has held strong even with competition from larger retailers in Montgomery County.
“It’s really special to me that what started as my vision and my parents’ vision is now expanding and becoming a collaborative effort that a lot of people are passionate about,” Petersen said. “It’s amazing how invested people are in us.”
About the owners
Petersen said there were many factors that inspired his decision to open J&R’s. Namely, his background in civil engineering and construction, which he majored in during college, and the fact that he had worked at a local Ace Hardware store as a teenager.
Upon expressing interest in running the business as a family, his father, Rob Peterson, felt that the southeast Montgomery County area would be a prime location for the store, particularly because of its proximity to the newly completed Grand Parkway at the time, Petersen said.
To this day, Petersen’s mother, Mary Helen Petersen, helps operate J&R’s gift shop by mostly selecting merchandise from local Texas businesses and artists. Customers can browse in-store for handcrafted jewelry, candles, home goods, purses, soaps, glassware and more.
Petersen shared that, in the future, his family hopes to further develop their current property into a community shopping center fitted with restaurants, a park and an accompanying performance stage for locals to enjoy.
