More than a century ago, before Lake Berryessa was a lake, William “W.D.” McKenzie ran a general store called Cook, McKenzie, & Son with his own son Albert “Bruz” McKenzie in Monticello, California. When Monticello citizens were told to make way for the Monticello Dam and Lake Berryessa, Bruz and his son Albert Jr. “Sandy” McKenzie bought and relocated to an already existing hardware store in Vaca
ville called Pacific Hardware. When the store got too busy, Sandy invited his cousin Jim McKenzie to help as a partner. Just out of the Marine Corp., Jim was happy to comply. In 1980, Sandy’s son, David McKenzie, came to help out and then never left. Today, David and his cousin, Scott McKenzie, run the store and are well known for their complementing personalities. Like his father, David's son, Ian McKenzie, came to the store after graduating from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo to continue as the fifth generation to run the business. Pacific Ace Hardware stands as one of the only small-town businesses left in Vacaville, and it continues to hold true to its core values of truly being the "helpful place" while bearing competitive prices.
