History

Jabo’s Ace Hardware is a locally owned and operated business by Bill & Renae Jablonowski. They bought their first store in June 2005, but this wasn’t their first encounter with Ace Hardware. In fact, it was more like the culmination of a lifelong venture. Bill started working at a premier hardware store, Elliott’s Ace Hardware, in West Allis, WI in 1984 when he was in high school. Bill continued working there through college and upon graduation, he followed his passion, applied, and was subsequently hired by Ace Hardware Corporation in Oak Brook, IL. Bill, Renae, and their first child, Alyssa, made the move to Illinois in 1989. This was the first of six relocations they would put their family through as they grew with Ace. They added two more children, Zachary and Caitlyn, along the way. During their 16 years with Ace, Bill continued to grow in various capacities, learning from some of the best Ace retailers across the country about how they ran their businesses. Bill was drawn to the hardware business for many reasons, but one of the most compelling was the quality of the people. Customers, owners, store associates, corporate support staff, and vendors alike seemed to fall into a similar category of “salt of the earth” folks. Because of this, Bill saw this as the kind of business he would like to build a future around and one he would be proud to pass on to his family someday.

After a close friend persistently nudged Bill to follow his dream of owning a hardware store (some might call it more of a shove, with the sentiment of “why don’t you just be quiet, stop talking about it, and put your money where your mouth is”), they finally sat down, scraped together every last dime they had, and began in earnest to plot their course. After spending the better part of a year trying to find a location for a new store in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, where they had family living for years, they ended up buying Coppell Ace Hardware in June 2005 and relocated their family for the very last time. Texas was to become, and will always be, their home. Renae, with an insurance background and a creative knack for finding and sourcing products people want to buy, quickly jumped into the hardware business and never looked back. This was her first official foray into the business, but having spent her entire married life with Bill wrapped around the business, this wasn’t her first rodeo either. She didn’t waste any time pumping new life into their recently acquired business. A complete overhaul of the business began in August 2005, culminating in the store that it is today. At first, many of their customers didn’t like the changes, but once they wrapped it up, they quickly found out they had more to offer than ever before, and they were off and running.

 

Since their initial plan was to open a new store, lease opportunities kept flowing their way. So when the chance came to secure a spot in the Keller Crossing Shopping Plaza as the lead anchor, they jumped at the opportunity. In February 2007, they opened their second store in Keller, TX. As a new store, the question of what to call it came into play. With a last name like Jablonowski, there were far too many letters to put up on a building due to cost alone, so after much deliberation, they went with a nickname that had been following them around for years. Jabo (pronounced Jah-bo) became the nickname of choice. Bill and the kids had picked up this nickname over the years, and thus, Jabo’s Ace Hardware was born. The Keller store was established with Bill and Renae’s vision of the kind of prototypical store they would like to operate: a grassroots hardware store with a lot more to offer than just the basics. This is why the store has a collegiate corner, gas-burning fireplaces, a 6,000 square foot garden center, and much more. They carry additional product lines like Benjamin Moore paint, Stihl Power Equipment, Weber grills, Webkinz, Mrs. Meyers, and a whole variety of others in addition to some 30,000 hardware SKUs. Renae likes to call some of these additional categories and niches “retail therapy” rather than retail shopping areas. Additionally, if you can’t find it at any of Jabo’s locations, just ask. If they don’t carry it, they’ll try their best to find it for you.

 

In August 2008, they bought their third store in Fort Worth: Jabo’s Westcliff Ace Hardware. Another long-standing great hardware store located just south of TCU’s campus in Fort Worth. Following the footsteps of their first acquisition, this store was completely retrofitted in early 2009 and is better organized and more consumer-friendly than ever. Benjamin Moore paints, Stihl Power Equipment, and some of Renae’s retail therapy categories were added to round out the product selection at the store.

 

In early 2021, their son Zach Jablonowski joined the ownership team. That year, Jabo’s Ace & The Cove Gifts went from three stores to five stores. They acquired the well-known Mr. C’s Ace Hardware in Hurst, TX. This store had been serving its community for over 30 years, and they were honored to keep its legacy going strong. As they do with their stores, they remodeled that location to offer stronger core departments to complement its bustling outdoor power equipment business. They also made large expansions in their grilling department, adding new brands like Gozney, Recteq, and more, and doubled their rubs and sauce assortment.

 

In the fall of 2021, Jabo’s Ace & The Cove Gifts opened its second ground-up store in Rowlett, TX. This opportunity allowed the Jabo’s family to apply what has worked best for them over the last 20 years of serving DFW and apply it to the design of this location. This 20,000 sq ft store boasts a large gift store, an even larger grilling section featuring an indoor commercial grilling kitchen, opening them up to hosting grilling classes and more. If you haven’t had an opportunity to see this store, it is worth the drive to visit. The gift store we call, The Cove Gifts, includes a wide range of new brands, such as Jack Black Men’s Skincare, Tyler Candles, Hey Dudes Shoes, BuDhaGirl, eNewton Jewelry, and the largest assortment of Rowe Casa Organics, among many others. If you haven’t had an opportunity to see this store, it is worth the drive to visit.

 

In the fall of 2022, they lost their founder and inspiration behind Jabo’s Ace, Bill Jablonowski. After a short battle with cancer, he won and returned to his everlasting home alongside the Lord. To this day, they keep his memory alive by honoring his dreams and his desire to make an impact in the communities they serve. In 2023, Jabo’s Ace & The Cove Gifts hit a significant milestone by donating over $1,000,000 to their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, Cook Children’s Medical Center, and Children’s Health Medical Center since they started fundraising in 2012. With this auspicious milestone, they have pledged to raise another million over the next five years to support the children being treated at our local Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals’. Today, Jabo’s Ace & The Cove Gifts is still owned and operated by Renae and Zach Jablonowski.

At the end of the day, none of this would be possible without the help and support of their entire family, their outstanding staff, and their loyal customers who have made Jabo’s Ace & The Cove Gifts the success it is today. Thank you! 

They look forward to future growth and delivering on their primary aim, which is:

To ensure that their customers leave their store saying “WOW!” …

• Incredible Service!
• Incredible Selection!
• Incredible Experience!

At Jabo’s Ace Hardware, they strive to be the MOST HELPFUL HARDWARE STORE in their community!