The Ace Hardware corporation and Benjamin Moore Paint have entered into a partnership that brings the well-respected paint brand into the store known as the “helpful place.” Merrill Ace Hardware is one of the first Ace stores to take on the Benjamin Moore line.
To make room for Benjamin Moore, Merrill Ace completely revamped the paint department. The existing line of Ace brand paints has been retained, while adding the selection of Benjamin Moore’s new Gennex paints.
According to Merrill Ace owner Tim Haight, the success of the Ace/Benjamin Moore partnership depends on having knowledgeable employees with an eye for color, personable service and shopper-friendly hours. Merrill Ace boasts the talents of Angus Edyburn and D’Lacy Haight, who both have a flair for helping customers pick the right colors. The store is also open later in the evenings and on the weekends.
“We have people here to help you pick out the right color,” Tim said. “Angus and D’Lacy have that knowledge and skill.
“We have great products and we’re also here when you need us,” he added.
The Benjamin Moore fandeck features 495 of the most popular colors in the Benjamin Moore line.
“The majority of folks are drawn to the Benjamin Moore colors,” Tim said. “One of the reasons that Ace, and Merrill Ace, decided to carry Benjamin Moore is that over 80 percent of interior decorators recommend Benjamin Moore paint. And one of the big reasons for that is their color selection.”
The Gennex line carried by Merrill Ace is Benjamin Moore’s latest technology in water borne paint. The paint has no or low volatile organic compound (VOC) content, making it virtually odorless.
The Gennex paint uses a combination of 13 colors of colorant, compared to the nine used in other paints. The additional tints used to create colors makes a broader spectrum possible.
To carry the Gennex line, Merrill Ace needed to obtain a $7,000 computerized auto tinting machine.
Haight painted his own home with the new Benjamin Moore paint to test it out. He found that the paint sticks to the brush, yet spreads beautifully. Even dark colors have exceptional coverage and durability, unlike older paint technology.
“This is the best paint I’ve ever used,” he said.
The Gennex line features a paint-and-primer product with excellent one-coat coverage.
Edyburn has also been impressed with the Benjamin Moore products.
“It’s a great experience to paint with and I’ve never seen a broader spectrum of colors. Benjamin Moore has a more nuanced color pallet, that makes a huge difference.”
Merrill Ace continues to offer the Ace brand paints, which are manufactured by Ace for its own stores. There are more than 1,400 colors available in the Ace brand paint. Tim feels that the Ace paints and the new Benjamin Moore line compliment each other well.
“We have people that love both products,” he said. “We’re not trying to take business away from the Ace paint, but we want to offer consumers another choice.”