Costello’s Ace Hardware has acquired Anchor Ace Hardware, the family-run store at 320 Route 46 that has been a Denville fixture for generations.
The deal hands one of the town’s longest-running businesses to a fast-growing regional chain. For the last 40 years, Anchor was owned and operated by Mitch and Randi Epstein. In announcing the purchase, Costello’s chief executive Michael Costello thanked the couple for decades of work and said his company would care for the store’s team and customers.
“Our goal isn’t to replace an 80-year legacy, it’s to honor it, invest in it and help ensure it continues for decades to come,” Costello wrote.
Costello’s plans to renovate and expand the Route 46 location over the coming months, with the work expected to be finished by early 2027. Anchor Ace will keep operating as a full-service hardware store, carrying paint, lawn and garden, plumbing, and household supplies through the transition.
The purchase adds Denville to a growing footprint for Costello’s Ace Hardware, a Long Island based company that now runs stores across five states and has set a goal of reaching 100 locations by 2030. Recent moves include a new flagship New Jersey store and the acquisition of Rommel’s Ace Home Centers across the Mid-Atlantic.
For Denville shoppers, the day-to-day experience is not expected to change during the switchover. Anchor Ace remains open at 320 Route 46 as the store enters what Costello called “the next chapter.”
