Roseville's Suburban Ace Hardware Continues a Family Legacy of Quality and Customer Service
22 May 2025
Success Stories, Business
Surburban Ace Hardware
1930 Lexington Ave N
Roseville, MN 55113
Convenience and customer service have kept loyal customers coming back to Suburban Ace Hardware in Roseville for the past two decades.
Easy online ordering and pickup, an eye toward quality, and a growing movement to shop local is attracting a new generation of customers.
“You can find what you need and get in and out quickly,” said Owner Mike Johnson. "We are a small store but most of the time we have what you need."
Mike Johnson purchased the store from his uncle in 2004 and he’s on site most days helping customers find the right tool or part to make a repair or complete a project. His son Nick Johnson grew up shadowing his dad and now works as a store manager. The store has 18 employees.
The smaller-format neighborhood store, with convenient parking, makes it easy for customers to run in and pick up that tool or that part to complete a repair quickly, Johnson said.
“I grew up in that generation where we fixed everything.”
That DIY, fix-it mentality now transcends generations. Younger shoppers are embracing that fix-it first ethos and are discovering Suburban Ace.
Adapting to change
“The community has changed greatly. We have a lot of younger customers, and we’ve had to adapt.” Johnson said.
That includes making online ordering through AceHardware.com seamless. “We’ve definitely seen online orders increase since COVID and they remain popular,” Johnson said.
Shoppers are keen on keeping up with technology and trends. Johnson said one place they’re doing that is in their power tools business. Ninety percent of the power tools they now sell, including lawnmowers and snowblowers, are electric vs. gasoline. Suburban Ace carries Stihl, Toro, and EGO power tools.
Johnson said he’s always looking for the best quality products. For example, he’s switched the brand of wild bird seed he carries. The new brand contains a higher concentration of seed vs. millet.
“Quality is important to us,” Johnson said. The change of seasons also drives business. Johnson said they’re now preparing for spring, with customers coming in for mulch, fertilizer, and other lawn and garden products.
Finally, customers value staying close to home and reinvesting in their own community.
“We do see more and more customers, especially in the younger generation, who want to shop local,” Johnson said. “We are family owned, and we offer that neighborhood shopping experience.”
More Topics
