Sunshine Ace Hardware opens in Ave Maria

A new Sunshine Ace Hardware store has opened in the master-planned community of Ave Maria.

Located less than a mile from the inland community’s Town Center, the shop includes tools, hardware, lawn and garden supplies, paint and grilling departments, plumbing fixtures, and propane, among other items.

“When you need to buy a new lightbulb, charcoal for the grill or tools to complete that long-overdue DIY project, you don’t want to drive 15 or 20 minutes each way,” Sunshine Ace Hardware President Michael Wynn says in a statement. “This new store brings convenience to residents and businesses in Ave Maria, along with the friendly, helpful customer service that has defined our brand for 66 years.”

Sunshine Ace Hardware was founded in 1958 by Don Wynn, the current president's grandfather. The third-generation company is among the largest family-owned home improvement retailers in Florida, according to a statement, which says it is also among Ace Hardware’s top franchisees in America.

Hardware store industry veteran Peter Kennedy will be the store manager for Sunshine Ace Hardware in Ave Maria, according to a statement.

Along with the retail store, Sunshine Ace Hardware will expand Ace Handyman Services of Southwest Florida into Ave Maria. Through the service, people can get access to licensed and bonded craftsmen to complete in-home projects like bathroom and kitchen repairs plus office, dining room, living room and bedroom refreshes, according to a statement. The craftsmen can help with home maintenance projects like mounting TVs and ceiling fans, repairing lanai screens, painting, updating cabinets, installing drywall and performing general carpentry services.

Based in Naples, Sunshine Ace Hardware operates 16 stores in Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Manatee and Pinellas counties. It also has three locations in development that are expected to open in 2025: at The Shoppes at Yellow Pines off State Road 31 in Babcock Ranch; in The Marketplace at Pelican Bay along U.S. 41 in North Naples; and at Winchester Center at Immokalee Road and Orange Tree Boulevard near Golden Gate Estates east of North Naples.

Sunshine Ace Hardware is at 5360 Ave Maria Blvd. in the Ave Maria Park of Commerce. It opened Oct. 14.