A Little History…
Paul E. Dauwalder established his first hardware store in downtown Scottsdale in 1956 at the Northwest corner of Thomas and Scottsdale Roads.
With a sales area of approximately 1,800 square feet, the original store was modest in size, but the vision behind it was anything but. The community quickly embraced the business, and within just two years it became clear that more space was needed. The store relocated to a larger building farther north on Scottsdale Road, marking the first of many expansions that would shape the future of Paul’s Ace Hardware.
As the business continued to grow, another move followed eight years later to the old post office location on 4th Street. This period helped lay the foundation for a company built on service, relationships, and trust. Thirty-six years later, in February of 1992, the Scottsdale store returned to its roots at the southeast corner of Scottsdale and Thomas Roads. Nearly 20 years after that move, as the lease approached its end, the search began for a new home that could support continued growth. On New Year’s Eve 2011 into 2012, the Scottsdale and Thomas location officially relocated to its current home at 1800 N. Scottsdale Road, just north of the Post Office, where it proudly serves the community today and we love it here!
The company’s growth extended beyond Scottsdale in 1973, when Paul and his son Don opened a second location in Fountain Hills on Saguaro Boulevard. That store remained there until 1986, when it was relocated to the former Bashas’ building. As the town of Fountain Hills experienced significant growth, Paul’s Ace Hardware grew right alongside it. By 1998, the store had once again outgrown its space and moved to its current location in the Bashas’ Shopping Center at Palisades and LaMontana.
The early 1990s marked a period of rapid expansion. A third location opened in Tempe at Priest and Broadway Roads, and in 1994 a full-service lumberyard was added to better serve both residential and commercial customers. Momentum continued into the next decade with the opening of the fourth and largest store in Gilbert in 2006 at the southwest corner of Gilbert and Baseline Roads. In June of 2007, a fifth location opened at McDonald and Granite Reef in Scottsdale, followed by the addition of a Rental Department at the Fountain Hills store in May of 2009. In 2015, the family welcomed its sixth location in Tempe at Broadway and Rural.
Continued growth brought two more stores into the Paul’s Ace Hardware family in the summer of 2017, with locations opening in North Scottsdale and in Payson, Arizona, about an hour north of the Valley.
Paul Dauwalder remained actively involved in the business until his passing in 1991. His son Don then took the reins and guided the company through decades of growth before retiring in 2007. Leadership passed to Don’s daughters, Julie Buchkowski and Tricia Dauwalder-Luna, who led the company until 2024. Today, Julie Buchkowski leads the company, with her husband and two sons actively involved, while her father and sister remain familiar faces around the stores.
With children, in-laws, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren all having played a role over the years, Paul’s Ace Hardware Stores remains a truly family-run business!
We are four generations strong and remain committed to serving our communities and preserving our legacy for the long haul!
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