Larsen's Ace Hardware

About Us
Our His­tory

2007-Present

Larsen’s Ace takes the Big Box straight on by adding a 30,000 SF Con­trac­tor Cen­ter in 2007. Lyle and JoAnn sell each of the four Son’s 20% inter­est in the busi­ness before leav­ing on a mis­sion to Los Ange­les. 2012 Larsen’s add six large green­houses and expand their plant and nurs­ery busi­ness. What does the future hold in store for Larsen’s Ace Hard­w

are? Well, this much we do know, Larsen’s will adapt like a chameleon to meet chang­ing times, and we will never open on Sunday’s and always rec­og­nize where our bless­ings come from. Thanks to every one of you who have patron­ized our busi­ness and given us our suc­cess. Thanks are given to all past and present employees.

1997–2007

New store and yard, at last we have enough room. After mov­ing the store four times JoAnn says she is not mov­ing again. Rick Larsen man­ages Lum­ber depart­ments and trains Lyle and JoAnn’s Son’s and Son in law to take over his many duties before mov­ing on to develop his school Storm Ridge Ranch for trou­bled Youth. 2002 Larsen’s weather the open­ing of a new Wal-Mart next door.

1996

With store and Yard scat­tered over four loca­tions, it’s time to con­sol­i­date and expand. Larsen’s Ace pur­chases cur­rent loca­tion (1155 S Hwy 118 Rich­field UT.) and con­structs new 30,000 SF build­ing with plenty of room, and builds new sheds for Lum­ber Yard.

1984–96

Expan­sion con­tin­ues Willard Cole­man home Removed (now where new Fire dept. Lyric the­atre prop­erty rented (now Shirt Stop build­ing). Prop­erty where (Hori­zons Cri­sis cen­ter now stands) pur­chased. 1991 Co-Founder Thelma Larsen dies. 1992 Todd Nie­mann mar­ries Lyle and JoAnn’s daugh­ter Leanne and joins busi­ness. Lance, Lar­rin, and Lan­don grow up in the aisles of the store and later in the lum­ber yard, and choose to fol­low in their Grandfather’s and Father’s foot­steps into the hard­ware and lum­ber business.

1983

Founder Low­ell Larsen passed away after turn­ing his $16,000 farm into a very suc­cess­ful busi­ness. Hard work a will­ing­ness to take chances, and always will­ing to change with the times were all key to his suc­cess. His hon­esty as a busi­ness­man was unmatched. Kent leaves busi­ness to help in devel­op­ment of Fish lake Lodge prop­er­ties an open Café.

1977–82

Dur­ing this period store enjoys steady growth. Randy Chris­tensen leaves com­pany and pur­chases Mont­gomery Ward store (Which later evolves into Big O Tire). Lowell’s son Kent and Grand­son Rick join the com­pany and help develop lum­ber and build­ing mate­ri­als depart­ments. 1982 Larsen’s pur­chase the old Christies mar­ket build­ing, as Dove’s Mar­ket moves to Join K-Mart in new shop­ping cen­ter. (Now the new Rich­field City Fire dept.).

1974–77

Store enjoys steady growth.

1973

Rented build­ing in Span­ish Fork sold to new owner, who will not renew lease. Larsen’s look for new loca­tion. Noth­ing suit­able is avail­able in Utah County. Lyle remem­bers see­ing an empty build­ing in Rich­field. Low­ell and Lyle travel to Rich­field and by days end hold an agree­ment with Raynel Pear­son to rent the East half of the old Safe­way build­ing, (cur­rently Pear­son Tire Build­ing). Larsen’s Ace hard­ware opens in April of this year. In fall of 1973 the Larsen’s add Home improve­ment lines and rent addi­tional space from the Pearson’s.

1970–73

Ace Hard­ware expands rapidly requir­ing the Larsen’s to seek a new larger loca­tion. Lyle and Randy Chris­tensen who joined the com­pany in the fall of 1973 remodel the Poulson’s Gro­cery ware­house build­ing (which was located where the park­ing lot behind the Huish The­atre now exists.

1969

Store changes affil­i­a­tion from West­ern Auto to Ace Hard­ware Corporation.

1968

Lyle mar­ries JoAnn Han­d­ley on June 14th.

1967

Lyle returns home from mis­sion, and returns to B.Y.U to con­tinue courses in busi­ness administration.

1966

Store moves to new Main Street location.

1965

After work­ing with his par­ents to get busi­ness started, Lyle Larsen leaves to serve LDS mis­sion in East­ern States.

1964

Low­ell & Thelma Larsen sell 60 acre farm in Lake Shore for $16,000. Invest the $16,000 In a West­ern Auto store on Main Street in Span­ish Fork.