Ace Hardware is out with a national contest that offers entrepreneurs the opportunity to compete to win their own store, valued at $1 million.
The Dream Ace Contest involves more than 4,600 stores in 50 states.
Consumers can enter the contest, which runs through March 15, at DreamAceHardware.com. There, they take a “suitability test” and answer three essay questions to see if they have what it takes to run a hardware store.
Two 45-foot buses called the Dream Ace Machines are making stops at Ace Hardware stores in 40 cities to promote the contest. At each stop customers receive giveaways and get the chance to meet Bill Rancic, the season-one winner of The Apprentice, and Lou Manfredini, a home improvement expert.
Next month, a panel of 30 judges will select one contestant from each state to proceed to the next round in which contestants travel to New York City for personal interviews with the Ace Dream Team and Rancic. The field will then be narrowed to 12, who will travel to Chicago to participate in Lou’s Boot Camp, an in-store, hands-on component of the contest led by Manfredini. All but two contestants will be eliminated at Boot Camp.
In March, the two finalists will attend the Ace National Store Owners Convention in Las Vegas, where they will present their business plans for owning and operating an Ace store.
The winners will be selected by Ace store owners and will win a new Ace Hardware store in Houston, TX, which is set to open June 30.
TV and radio spots, newspaper ads, a mobile tour, in-store signage, circular ads and a Web site support the promotion.
Mars Advertising, Southfield, MI, handles the program.
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