As a Sussex community hardware store with “a personal touch,” the Ace Hardware owners announced on social media it’s closing after 33 years.
“It’s not easy for my family to talk about, as you can imagine,” Stephanie LeDonne, daughter of the owners, Anthony and Joanie LeDonne, wrote on the Sussex Ace Hardware Facebook page. “This store had been in my family for 33 years, and it was not an easy decision to close our doors, but it was our very best option as a family.”
According to an outgoing voicemail message, Sussex Ace Hardware, N64 W24330 Main St, is undergoing liquidation and will remain open until all products are gone. The owners couldn’t immediately be reached for comment.
The owners cited financial struggles as a primary reason for closing on its updated website, Save Sussex Ace. “We have done our best to push through financial hardships, but unfortunately, it is time for us to close our doors,” they wrote.
On the site, they said their financial challenges began in 2020 when their son Mikey died of an accidental opioid overdose at age 36.
“During that time, the disease of addiction brought painful challenges and financial hardship that we’ve spent years working to recover from,” they wrote. “We’ve done everything possible to rebuild, but the strain has finally left us with the heartbreaking decision to close our doors.”
Building Ace Hardware from ground up
Anthony LeDonne, who grew up in his family’s Ace Hardware store in Chicago, moved to Sussex to build Ace Hardware from nothing, according to the Save Sussex Ace website.
At the time, he faced challenges, including losing everything due to family issues after his father died, according to the website.
He and his wife Joanie built Sussex Ace Hardware from ground up with “nothing but perseverance, hard work, and a deep love for helping others.”
After 33 years, the LeDonne Family wrote that Sussex Ace Hardware is more than just a store, it’s part of the community.
“The relationships we’ve built here go beyond business,” they wrote. “This store isn’t just our livelihood — it’s our life.”
Donation efforts will help Sussex Ace Hardware close responsibly, owners say
People can donate to the LeDonne family to help them close with “integrity and care” according to Save Sussex Ace website.
According to the site, donations will help pay outstanding debts incurred from years of financial hardship, supporting employees as they transition to their next opportunities and helping the family’s remaining Ace Hardware location on Lisbon Avenue in Milwaukee.
To make a donation, visit savesussexace.com.
“As we take these final steps, we do so with gratitude for every customer, friend, and neighbor who has supported us through it all,” the owners wrote on the website.
For more information and for updates about Sussex Ace Hardware
For more information and for updates, visit savesussexace.com or visit the Sussex Ace Hardware Facebook page.
Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on X at @kozlowicz_cathy.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: ‘This store isn’t just our livelihood — it’s our life.’ Sussex Ace Hardware is set to close after 33 years
Reporting by Cathy Kozlowicz, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
