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22ndCenturyMedia.com holiday guide
22nd century media | November 22, 2017 | 21
Whitmore Ace Hardware — five generations and six locations strong
As a business rich in
tradition and family,
Whitmore Ace Hardware
begins our fifth generation
of leadership. And
that family realizes what
has made it a strong brickand-mortar
business is its
love of community and
service for more than 120
years.
The business was established
by William Henry
Whitmore in 1896 at the
Wilmington location.
Mike and Mary (Whitmore)
Cripe ran the business,
along with Mary’s
father and grandfather,
for many years. They
expanded the business
to three more locations:
Braidwood, Manteno and
Manhattan.
Their sons, Michael and
David Cripe, have continued
to follow their family’s
footsteps and have
opened stores in Mokena
and New Lenox. Whitmore
Ace now has six locations
serving Illinois.
The business attributes
its success to a strong set
of core values: to be noticeably
different, dedicated
to family and community,
amazing to every
customer, working with
passion and living a life
with gratitude. Its owners
promise to bring these
values to every community
they serve and to the
team members who work
with them.
In the past five years,
Whitmore Ace has
brought new and exciting
brands to its stores. Each
location may be slightly
different, but the core inventory
is “hardware.”
Some brands the family
has introduced are Yeti,
Big Green Egg, Traeger,
Stihl, Carhartt, Red Wing,
Hallmark, Weber and
Toro, plus their own Water
Street Boutique. Every
store provides key cutting,
glass cutting and screen
repair; custom paint colors;
propane; knife and
blade sharpening; and, of
course, a great selection
of nuts, bolts and screws
— the basics of hardware.
Whitmore Ace is proud
of its seasonal departments
in lawn and garden
and Christmas. Its owners
hope to help their customers
with one-stop shopping.
It is their goal to
provide a fair value for
quality products and superior
service at each of
the stores.
Historically, hardware
stores have often been
designated as general
stores, filling the needs
of the community. Putting
a twist on a modern
day general store fit into
Whitmore’s plans. Adding
trends in fashion,
gifts and home, a modern
day general store called
Water Street was born.
Water Street is the address
of Whitmore’s first
hardware store, opened in
1896 in Wilmington. The
store has wonderful
brands, such as Alex
& Ani, Brighton, Nora
Fleming, Kendra Scott,
and Love Your Melon.
Whitmore’s hope is to
provide for you an inspiring
and delightful selection
of items for any home
and lifestyle. The owners
wish to make a customer’s
trip to the hardware store
a family event.
The first Water Street
was opened in 2016 at the
Mokena location. Whitmore
has since opened
one in Wilmington, and
have Water Street gift
selections in Manteno,
Manhattan and Braidwood.
New Lenox is soon
to come.
Whitmore has added a
sixth location and is excited
to serve the community
of New Lenox. It has been
open only a few weeks
and already has had such
a great welcome. January
of 2018 is to bring some
great changes to the New
Lenox store, so customers
may have to pardon
the dust, while Whitmore
remodels. The community
will be happy with the improvements
and exciting
new brands, along with
the Water Street gift selections.
Customers are invited to
participate in the Ace Rewards
membership in the
store closest. The promise
of Whitmore is to amaze
with its customer service
and make the stores
friendly and reliable.
Submitted by Whitmore Ace
Hardware, 1105 S. Water
St. in Wilmington, (815)
476-7731; 237 N. Front St. in
Braidwood, (815) 458-9850;
361 S. Locust Street in Manteno,
(815) 468-3137; 210
S. State Street in Manhattan,
(815) 478-3317; 11600 Francis
Road in Mokena, (708)
995-1999; and 358 W. Maple
St. in New Lenox, (815) 485-
3040. For more information,
visit www.whitmoreace.com
and www.waterstreetbou
tique.com.
santa’sback
andhelefthis "Santa Bags"atthe
LockportResourceCenter
After the Mall and the big box stores, come and fill
your Santa Bag with the best deals in town and also
help your neighborsinneed!
*$25 00 bags Friday &Saturdayonly
The LockportResource Center is Lockport
and Homertownshipsall volunteer run Thrift
shop. Proceedsfromthe shop funda
No-Interest loan program,scholarship
program, and FISH Food Pantry.
Black Friday (11/24):
10am - 4pm
Saturday (11/25):
10am - 2pm
(Nodonations will be accepted on thesedays)
HALF OFFTHE ENTIRE STORE including bags! All
regularmerchandise is bag sale eligible.
Largefurniture items arehalf off theticketed price.
815.838.9615 | 944 N. StateSt. |Lockport, IL