Mead Lumber Reopens Sterling Location under Ace Hardware Brand

Mead Lumber Company, a Nebraska-based employee-owned building material supplier with 56 locations across nine states, celebrated the grand reopening of Mead Lumber of Sterling on Friday, August 7. The opening marks the completion of an eight-month remodel and the store’s conversion to an Ace Hardware retail store.

The Ace affiliation, per Mead, brings a significant expansion in what the Sterling store carries. Location Manager Liz Hines tripled the number of items on the shelves, added Sunday hours to move the store to a seven-day schedule, and expects to hire roughly 20 additional employees to staff the larger operation. The eight-month remodel also reset the retail floor from front to back and added a new showroom to the store. 

“We have been part of this community for a long time, and this remodel was about making an investment in Sterling,” said Hines. “Tripling our product selection and being open seven days a week means a contractor can grab what he needs on a Sunday instead of losing a day, and a homeowner can find the paint, the fasteners and the lumber for the whole project in one stop.” 

Mead Lumber has served Sterling since 1959 and has operated from its current location at 265 E. Chestnut St. since 1995. Hines, who has managed the store for five years, is only the third manager in the location’s history. 

“Sterling is one of our longest-tenured locations, and the investment we made there reflects how much we believe in that  community,” said Dave Anderson, Chief Executive Officer of Mead Lumber. “Adding Ace to a Mead lumberyard gives customers the best of both. They get the retail selection and convenience of a national hardware store brand, backed by a local team that has been supplying builders in northeast Colorado for more than 65 years.” 

The celebration began the evening of Thursday, August 6, with a dinner for area builders and contractors. Grand reopening festivities continued throughout the day Friday, August 7, with a board cutting alongside local chamber and community leaders, food, door prizes and giveaways. Eight vendor partners set up outside the store to demonstrate products and answer customer questions.