Most college curriculums on business downplay one key element that has played a significant role in the success of Sunshine Ace Hardware and millions of other small businesses and family-owned companies just like ours – relationships. One of our core values as a company is Build Honest Relationships to help emphasize just how important we believe this is to our business.

From the beginning, my grandfather, Don Wynn, prioritized local businesses as part of his marketing plan. They needed someone they could trust that didn’t just treat them like a number or prioritize their relationship based strictly based on the amount of sales they generated. His plan worked. The company grew from one store in Naples to 11 stores across Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Manatee and Pinellas counties, as well as Sunshine Commercial Paint & More, a freestanding paint store in Naples that caters to B2B partners like general contractors, professional painters, builders and small business owners.

SEE MORE: Commercial Services at Sunshine Ace Hardware

Small businesses are the lifeblood of our community. For every $100 spent with a local, small business, $68 remains in the community. They don’t have an out of state headquarters determining what they can or can’t deliver to their customers or what commitment they can make during challenging times like a natural disaster or a pandemic. For Sunshine, our relationships with local businesses are forged with handshakes, eye contact and a relentless commitment to treat their businesses as we would our own. However, we have to deliver several critical elements in order to be a lasting partner in their success:

• Convenience: Whether its convenient locations, online ordering with quick and reliable delivery to job sites, or curbside pickup – time is money and we never forget that. Sunshine Ace has opened stores in strategic locations, including a new 20,000-square-foot store under construction in North Naples that will offer over 50,000 unique items including commercial paint, core hardware and fasteners along with a wide selection of power and hand tools, convenient delivery and online ordering, as well as knowledgeable B2B specialists that will help you find the solutions to your business repair needs so you can focus more time on your valued customers.
• Premium brands: Quality drives customer satisfaction. Value focused customers spend their money wisely and they want products that last. Although there are dozens of paint brands on the market, for instance, Sunshine Ace has introduced Benjamin Moore Paints across all locations because of its preferred status among contractors.
• Legendary service: Customers want to feel valued. They should never be just another customer or transaction. Commercial clients work directly with an account executive and receive competitive pricing, quick turnaround on orders, a dedicated checkout desk and free delivery as well as an exclusive hotline and email address.

Every business should treat its customers as a priority. However, business customers have a unique set of challenges they need to overcome daily as time is more precious and rising inflation puts more pressure on their margins. Having dedicated team members who understand those challenges and have the skills to help improve their success will keep them satisfied and returning week after week. At Sunshine, we understand the business customer and are committed to being a long time, trusted partner to our valued local business relationships.

– By Michael Wynn, President of Sunshine Ace Hardware

READ MORE: Our History