Ace Hardware in Starkville is officially closing down.
Chad Porter of the Louisville store confirmed the Starkville location will close by the end of June or possibly earlier than that, depending on inventory sales.
Ace opened in Starkville just two years ago and is currently open 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8-12:30 p.m. on Saturdays. I am personally sad to see a hardware store fall off the rotation because as a DIY fix-it person, most of my weekends are spent perusing aisles of tools I need and projects to tackle.
This leaves a roughly 10,000 square-foot vacancy in the former Vowell’s marketplace shopping center. But according to building owner Roy Oswalt, that vacancy isn’t going to last long.
44 Properties, owned by retired MLB pitcher Oswalt, started the renovation to the 60,000 square-foot shopping center in 2021, breaking the center into three suites, one that houses Miskelly Furniture, Specialty Orthopedic Group and Ace Hardware. He added that a Baptist Memorial Health Care facility will replace the outgoing hardware store.
Heading to the other side of town, Joe Hudson’s Collision Center at 1025 Hwy. 12 W., is now Gerber Collision and Glass. According to its website, it’s just a “new name, same great quality and service you trust.”
Gerber offers free repair estimates, national lifetime guarantee, deductible financing, dent and scratch repair and anything else needed for a full-service auto body shop.
Founded in 1937 in Chicago by Phil Gerber, the company has expanded to one of the largest auto collision and glass repair companies in North America.
Earlier this year, The Boyd Group, which operates Gerber Collision and Glass, acquired Joe Hudson’s Collision Center, adding 258 locations across the southeast and increasing the Boyd Company’s footprint to 1,300.
I noticed the Joe Hudson sign is officially down, so if you see the Gerber Collision in the future, it’s still the same folks.
Also in town, Southern Glow Tans is now rebranding as the Glow Society.
The mobile spray tanning business you have known is still the same owner, house calls and everything, it’s just rebranding.
“As my business grows, (I) wanted a brand that felt more elevated and aligned with the vision I have moving forward,” owner Mackenzie Holmes said. “And that’s exactly what The Glow Society represents.”
Heading over to Columbus, the Wax Club, 1513 Hwy. 45 N., is hosting its grand opening at 4 p.m. today.
Owner Polly Briggs opened the Wax Club in Starkville two years ago, with the goal of opening more locations in the future. Last year, Briggs participated in the Goldman Sachs Small Business Program, which helped her position her business for success.
“The program gave me the guidance and tools I needed to grow,” Briggs said. “Being based in Starkville, Columbus was the logical and natural next step in our growth plan and we are looking forward to getting more involved and making contributions to the community.”
WaxClub offers waxing services for underarms, chest, arms, legs, bikini, brazilian and more. You can book appointments online at waxclubms.com.
Former Dispatch reporter Mary Pollitz writes weekly about interesting business news. Have a tip? Send it to [email protected].
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