Acme Tools marks 75th anniversary
The growing online business was supported by a new Distribution Center built in Grand Forks in 2014 and expanded in 2020. Online orders increased greatly during the pandemic both regionally with the introduction of buy online pick up in-store and nationally with the increasing of stock levels early on during the pandemic.
An additional 115,000-square-foot Distribution Center opened in the spring of this year in Burnsville, Minnesota.
Acme Electric Motor Inc. founder George Kuhlman started a motor repair shop in a 30- square-foot garage in downtown Grand Forks. His son, Daniel Kuhlman, joined the company in 1962, becoming the eighth employee and eventually succeeding his father as president during his 60-plus-year career with the company. He had the vision to expand the business to include selling power tools and created Tool Crib of the North in 1970.
The Kuhlmans grew sales by adding new retail stores in North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa, starting a mail-order division with catalogs, further expanding to add Acme Rents and Acme Equipment, and launching an e-commerce business selling in all 50 states. Acme Tools today employs more than 600 people.
"Acme Tools has remained at the forefront of the tool and equipment industry for 75 years through innovation, dedication and hard work," said Paul Kuhlman, president of merchandise operations. "Some of our success is from our great business relationships with our manufacturers and their representatives who help innovate with industry leading products which help save the customer time and money."
Acme Tools has 10 retail stores in North Dakota, Minnesota and Iowa and offers more than 100,000 products online from over 1,100 brands.