11/08/2024
🔙Flashback Friday: The Roots of Bailey's Ace Hardware 🛠️
“More than a Hardware Store”
Our journey starts back in 1970 with Walt and Connie Bailey.
Walt was a business professor in Vermillion, SD. With advice and encouragement provided by his parents, Jim and Audrey, owners of The Bailey School Supply in Casper, Walt decided if he was teaching business, he "ought to be able to run one".
Walt and Connie put in an offer for Westridge Hardware, located in the Westridge Village. Westridge Village was Wyoming's first shopping center, located at the CY and Poplar intersection, where the westside Albertsons currently resides. Walt and Connie’s offer was accepted late on a Friday night, with the implication they would be ready to open the doors Monday morning. The pair remembers emptying their children’s, Tim and Mark, piggy banks to ensure they had enough change to run the register. Believe it or not, Westridge Hardware was the first store in Casper to stock and sell Crockpots when they first came out.
Throughout the years, Walt and Connie’s sons came to work with them often, and learned the ins and outs of the business. Walt and Connie remember a day their employees were building lawn mowers in the back. Tim, who was 6 at the time, kept interrupting Walt to let him know that they were being built wrong - they were.
Around March of 1976, Walt and Connie bought into the Our Own Hardware franchise, and opened a second store location, 2100 E 2nd Street, which would become their only location about a year later.
On April 16, 1992 Bailey’s Ace Hardware became a reality when Walt and Connie dropped Our Own, and with the advice of their son, and manager Tim, decided to buy into the Ace Hardware franchise.
In 2004, Tim and his wife Fred (Sheri, but most people don’t call her that) purchased Bailey’s Ace Hardware.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been 20 years since Tim and Fred took over the reigns from Walt and Connie, who had built such a strong foundation for the store. Since then, our family has been dedicated to making sure this store isn’t just a place to grab tools, paint, and hardware. It’s a cornerstone of our community - “more than a hardware store”.
Over the years, Tim, Fred, and their two daughters, Tori and Hannah, have worked side by side to continue the legacy of quality, service, and reliability that Walt and Connie started. Whether it’s helping with a last-minute project or offering advice you can count on, we’ve been here with one goal: to serve YOU – our neighbors and friends – with the best customer service possible.
Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts for shopping local and supporting the Bailey family for nearly 55 years. As we (Tim and Fred) celebrate 20 years of serving this wonderful community, we are excited to announce Bailey’s Ace Hardware on social media, and we look forward to connecting with you.