Ace Hardware

After filing a discrimination complaint, human resources representatives for the company told Hartsfield there would be an investigation, according to the lawsuit. Hartsfield was later suspended without pay and never brought back to work.

A former employee of an ACE Hardware store in Arlington, Texas, has filed a lawsuit claiming the store manager allowed a racist depiction of a person hanging from a ceiling during a 2023 Juneteenth celebration, CBS News reports.

SACRAMENTO - In its largest consumer product settlement ever, the Air Resources Board recently fined Ace Hardware $850,000 for selling windshield washer fluid in stores throughout the state that failed to meet California air emissions requirements.

The lawsuit, opens new tab, filed on Thursday in federal court in ‌Chicago, alleges Ace and its members have for years violated U.S. antitrust law by coordinating on retail prices and limiting where stores can operate. The lawsuit said shared pricing moved in lockstep with nearby stores, eliminating competition.

Ace Hardware urged an Illinois federal court to toss a proposed class action accusing the retail cooperative of helping its member stores conspire to fix prices, saying the case attacks services the stores need to compete against Home Depot and others.

By Matthew Perlman ( May 11, 2026, 8:50 PM EDT) -- Consumers have hit Ace Hardware with a proposed class action in Illinois federal court alleging they pay higher prices because the retail cooperative helps its member stores conspire to fix prices and divide local markets. . . .

Ace Hardware Corp. conspired to raise retail prices across its member stores, causing consumers to pay millions of dollars more for products, according to a customer’s proposed class action.

During the spring of 2001, staff of the MSOD Field Inspection / Testing section conducted a compliance survey for Small Off-Road Engines (SOREs) by visiting hardware stores and lawnmower shops throughout the State. At the Santa Barbara Home Improvement Center (SBHIC), they discovered non-California compliant chainsaws and line trimmers offered for sale. Since the SBHIC belongs to the ACE cooperative of stores, the ARB issued a cease and desist order to ACE and a request to report the number of units sold statewide. ACE reported that they delivered 1,068 line trimmers and 645 chainsaws equipped with non-California certified engines to retail stores in California, prior to the cease and desist order. Though ACE had procedures in place to segregate 49 state and California compliant equipment, an inadvertent error in the coding of the trimmers and chainsaws allowed the non-compliant units to be distributed and sold in California stores. A recall campaign undertaken by ACE was not successful because most of the non-compliant equipment had already been sold to consumers in California. ACE signed a settlement agreement on December 2, 2003 and deposited $50,714 into the Air Pollution Control Fund.

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The role of Hey ARMA, or other AI technology rolled out at Ace Hardware stores, is not to replace workers but give employees the opportunity to use AI to create better shopping experiences. When asked about the future of AI in the workforce, Venhuizen said, "I can't predict the future, and you'd be a fool to. But here's my sense: I don't think you have a high probability of losing your job to AI, but you will have a very high probability of losing your job to someone who knows how to leverage AI."

On May 5, 2017, a Consumer Products case was settled with ACE Hardware Corporation and CRC Industries, Inc. for selling, supplying or offering for sale a non-compliant pressurized gas duster product between April 2011 and April 2014. The product, Ace Moisture-Free Duster, contained 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134A), which is considered a high global warming potential compound that has been prohibited for use in the pressurized gas duster category since December 31, 2010. The sales of the product resulted in 9.1 tons of HFC-134A emissions. ACE Hardware Corporation and CRC Industries, Inc. have agreed to pay $300,000 to settle this case.

Ace Hardware Corp. was sued by three website users for allegedly continuing to track their online activity through third-party tools even after they opted out of data sharing, violating federal wiretapping laws and privacy protections.

Ace Hardware has not reported lobbying the federal government during the 2024 election cycle.

On May 9, 2014, a case was settled jointly with Ace Hardware Corporation and United Industries Corporation for manufacturing and selling a store brand “Ace Flying Insect Killer” which subject to the VOC limit for Aerosol Crawling Bug Insecticide category, title 17, California Code of Regulations, section 94509(a). The label made representations that was suitable for use on crawling insects and the product contained concentrations of VOC’s exceeding the 15 percent by weight VOC limit. There were approximately 1.55 tons of excess emissions. The companies paid $26,600.00 to settle the case.