Greg Farrell and his wife, Tammy, have owned and operated Ace Hardware since 2008. The Farrell's store has sold many of the home improvement, gardening and seasonal items that local residents use to maintain their homes.

The couple decided to open the store after a home-improvement project went awry, and Greg had to travel to the closest hardware stores in the area to get supplies for the home repairs.

"[The project] took us several trips to Home Depot and Lowe's," Greg said. "About nine hours of work later I said, 'You know what, we need a hardware store near here.'"

Since then, the store has benefited from its proximity to area residents who can visit the location without having to make their way through oft-congested I-45. One of the biggest challenges, however, is keeping the right items and sizes in stock to meet the needs of new homes being built around the future Grand Parkway as well as the needs of older homes constructed in the 1960s, Greg said.

"You go two miles down the road in either direction, and you have brand new homes that are 5,000 square feet, and you also have houses that were built in the '60s and '70s that are 1,500 square feet and everything in between," Greg said. "To try to accommodate all of those homeowners, we have to do our best to continue to find what they are looking for."

While Greg said that the best-selling item expected this spring is fertilizer, one of the most profitable sections is the accessories and gifts. The department features a selection of candles, seasonal gifts, in-house gift-wrapping and children's toys, Tammy said.

"I think a lot of people used to go to Old Town Spring to shop for their gifts, and that is great when it is a sunny day and it is a weekend and there is a place to park," Tammy said. "But I hear from some of the clients—especially some of the older clients—they don't like to park far away and walk, and if it is raining it is very inconvenient. A lot of people are coming in here looking for items they were getting [in Old Town Spring]."

The couple emphasizes community involvement, and along with regular fundraisers for the Children's Miracle Network, the Pauls also invite Boy and Girl scout troops to use store facilities to earn their badges, and host animal shelter adoption events, Tammy said.

"I think that it is really important that you live in the community that you serve, and when we give back to people it comes back to us threefold," Tammy said.

How Ace Hardware works

Ace Hardware is a co-op with about 4,500 Ace Hardware individually owned and operated stores worldwide. When an owner buys an Ace Hardware store, they also buy company stock, and receive a cash and company stock dividend annually from the company.

Seasonal items

  • Spring: Plants, fertilizer, mulch, soil, pesticides, Mother's Day and Easter gifts

  • Summer: Pool chemicals, pool testing, grills

  • Fall: Gifts, Christmas lights

  • Winter: Pipe insulation, heaters, plant covers


2111 Rayford Road, Spring, 281-419-2121, www.acehardware.com

Hours: Mon.–Fri. 8 a.m.–8 p.m., Sat. 8 a.m.–7 p.m., Sun. 8 a.m.–6 p.m.