(Editor’s note: This is the eighth installment in a weekly series featuring Rhode Island’s oldest companies as the nation approaches the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. The other stories from this series can be found here.)
WARWICK – Salk’s Ace Hardware & Marine Inc.’s expansion can be traced back to 1900 when Samual Salk began taking products from the family’s Providence general store to sell them at Oakland Beach, looking to cater to the summer residents.
The family eventually settled in the seaside neighborhood in 1917.
Fast forward to its second generation, in 1956 Harold Salk relocated operations to West Shore Road, and is credited with fully transitioning the business into a dedicated hardware and marine store.
Harold Salk, who passed away in 2024, was instrumental in establishing a foundation for the company’s future success. His son Jeffrey is currently president of the company,
With a strong focus on community relationships and customer service, Salk’s Ace Hardware & Marine continues to thrive as a fourth generation family-owned businesses.
Initially affiliated with TruValue, Salk's Ace Hardware evolved into a cooperative of Ace Hardware, specializing in home improvement and boat supplies.
Today, it operates five hardware stores across Rhode Island and Massachusetts. In 2010, Salk's expanded with a second location in North Kingstown, followed by a third store in Seekonk in 2019, and a fourth store in Wakefield in 2020. The Pawtucket addition opened in 2023.
Now with fourth generation brothers Benjamin and Adam Salk running much of the day to day operations, the company is enjoying its niche between large scale competition and small business charm.
“We’ve always maintained our family name and local level of ownership,” said Adam Salk. “As we’ve expanded, we hear more and more customers say, ‘I grew up shopping in your original store in Warwick.’ Rhode Island is a small state, so we see many familiar faces.”
The family business motif extends to their workforce, where employees hired as high school students become longstanding employees.
Given Rhode Island’s small but diverse landscape, each location has tailored its offerings to meet local demands, said Salk.
The partnership with Ace Hardware has been beneficial, providing Salk's with tools like brand recognition and e-commerce platform support, proven critical in maintaining competitiveness, especially against online retailers.
“Everything has changed, and we’ve had to adapt,” Salk said.
Despite the challenges posed by online commerce, the family and its customers benefit from the advantages of shopping at a brick-and-mortar store.
Run out of screws in the middle of a project? That’s not something that can wait until tomorrow. In the trades, time is money, and immediate access to supplies is vital.
“We have what you’re looking for in our store,” said Salk. “Many items purchased online come with uncertainties. You can buy a grill, but is it going to come assembled? You can buy paint online. But many times it’s not the correct color and quantity. There are still things that brick and mortar does better than online. And certainty that helps us.”
Salk’s employs around 80 people across its five stores, ranging from basic entry-level positions to roles requiring specific experience.
Salk said the common thread is enthusiastic individuals eager to learn.
The company celebrated its 125th anniversary last year. Salk is optimistic for the future. Currently preparing for the spring and summer rush, the business has no immediate expansion plans but remains open to the possibility.
“We are always keeping our options open and exploring new opportunities,” he said.
Christopher Allen is a PBN staff writer. You may contact him at Allen@PBN.com.
