Isle Ace Hardware stores honored
Ace Hardware Corporation recently announced that HouseMart Ace Hardware store locations in Hilo, Keaau, Naalehu, Rancho and Kailua-Kona on the Big Island have all achieved designation as a “Pinnacle Performance Retailing” store for outstanding performance.
Developed as part of Ace’s retail growth strategy, Higher Ground, Pinnacle Performance Retailing is focused on Ace’s customers to ensure that Ace stores deliver on its helpful brand promise.
For more than 96 years, Ace Hardware has been serving its neighbors with helpful service and quality products. With more than 5,300 stores in approximately 70 countries, the teams at these HouseMart Ace Hardware stores are five of only a few hundred Ace retailers to achieve this elite Pinnacle status. To achieve Pinnacle Performance Retailing, the teams at these five HouseMart Ace Hardware stores successfully completed a number of key performance drivers focused on quality, service and convenience, helping them provide a better overall shopping experience in their local community.
Our HouseMart Ace Hardware stores have been recognized by the communities as the Best Hardware Store in both West Hawaii and East Hawaii. The HouseMart group is also a strong partner in raising funds for Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children, Hawaii’s only Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.
“The teams at Hilo, Naalehu, Rancho, Keaau and Kona are incredibly pleased to have earned the status as a Pinnacle Performance Retailing store,” said Marcel Bekers, COO at HouseMart Ace Hardware. “What this means for our customers is that we are more committed than ever to providing the best possible retail experience; from customer service to quality product offerings and more. We’re taking ‘Ace helpful’ to a new level.”
CPB Foundation contributes $1.5M to local communities
Central Pacific Bank Foundation announced that it has contributed more than $1.5 million in 2020 to help local communities. By providing funding, leadership, and people power, CPB Foundation focused on helping those most underserved and vulnerable, small businesses, and nonprofit partners survive and thrive beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The COVID-19 pandemic is having a devastating impact on Hawaii. While we remain fully dedicated to caring for our employees and customers, we, like many organizations, have invested in our community – doing our part to forge a bright path forward for our economy and all of Hawaii’s people,” said Catherine Ngo, Chair, Central Pacific Bank Foundation.
To meet the needs of those hardest hit by the pandemic, CPB Foundation provided emergency relief in the areas of food insecurity and healthcare at the onset of the pandemic, and throughout 2020. Among those receiving resources wereAlohaTrace and AlohaSafe, a community-driven data collection and contact tracing family of tools; Mana Up Showcase, an accelerator program for Hawaii-based retail, beauty, and food product companies; and the Virtual Okinawan Festival that attracted a worldwide audience of over 60,000 over three days of virtual events aimed, among others.
In addition to the work of CPB Foundation, CPB employees extended their leadership, time, and care to the community, contributing over 6,500 hours of service to more than 100 nonprofit organizations throughout 2020.