Tony’s Ace Hardware : Hazel Park’s Place for Helpful Hardware Folks
By Maggie Boleyn
TONY’S ACE HARDWARE, ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER OF WOODWARD HEIGHTS AND JOHN R, IS A LONG-TIME COMMUNITY TREASURE.
“The store has such a long history, and many people feel connected to it,” says Matthew Abramsky, owner and operator. “I love when someone comes in the store and comments: ‘My dad worked here when he was in high school.’ That is why I opted to keep the name “Tony’s” even though no one named Tony has been involved in the business for many decades.”
Tony’s, which opened in the 1930s, is one of the city’s oldest continuously operating businesses. Abramsky managed the store from 2004 to 2010. In November of 2010, he and his wife Sharon bought the business.
“Having the opportunity to own Tony’s is a blessing,” Abramsky says. He considers it “a privilege” to serve Hazel Park, Ferndale, and surrounding communities.
TONY’S AFFILIATE, ACE HARDWARE, is the world’s largest home improvement company. However, each Ace Hardware store is independently owned and operated.
“I think many people believe Ace is a chain but, really, this is our ‘mom and pop’ hardware store,” Abramsky continued. “We buy much of our merchandise from Ace and collaborate with other local Ace owners on advertising,” he explains. “People often comment how they come to Tony’s for the hard things to find. Sharon and I have put a lot of effort into expanding every department in our store. We have had customers drive in from Canada for specialized merchandise!”
Tony’s offers services like key- cutting, paint-tinting, screen repair and glass-cutting. Currently, a wide election of Weber and Traeger grills are featured, along with Yeti products such as indestructible coolers and insulated mugs.
Abramsky recalls some unusual customer requests, such as an older man buying a large pair of metal snips to “trim his toe nails.” A dozen Dremel tools were snapped up by a woman — “for her nail salon.”
“I love owning this business,” Abramsky says. “I want to contribute as much as I can to the city and to my customers.”
Tony’s certainly contributed in 2014, selling flood-related items and cleaning supplies. “I hope we were able to make cleanup and recovery easier,” says Abramsky. He noted Ace “was a tremendous help”, quickly delivering extra supplies. “I remember selling people mops right out of the boxes as we were unpacking the truck.”
“It’s an exciting time to be in Hazel Park,” Abramsky concludes. “I believe in this community and value my loyal and hardworking customer base more than I can say.”
