OAK BROOK, Ill. - Ace Hardware Corp. added 104 new members to its Ace Rental Place program last year, boosting total membership to 408 locations, according to the nation's second largest hardware retail cooperative.

Ace Hardware has signed 12 more members this year, David O'Donnell, rental operations manager, told RER.

"Last year was the first time we were able to do a market survey for any store that expressed an interest in the program," O'Donnell said. "That effort and the information we could provide helped sell the program. We started to have a lot more word-of-mouth as well."

In related news, Ace recently moved its rental training institute into an expanded 2,200-square-foot facility in Downers Grove, near its Oak Brook, Ill., headquarters. Don Brown, owner of Action Rental & Sales, Harrisonville, Mo., and director of ARA Region 6, will oversee training classes.

Jim Ziegler, who helped develop Ace's training program and ran the classes, remains a consultant, but wanted to devote more time to Colorado-based Rental City.

"The larger facility allows us to expand the product we have on display and offer more hands-on training opportunities," O'Donnell said.