Ace Hardware President And CEO, John Venhuizen, To Speak At The Executives' Club of Chicago CEO Breakfast Program

CHICAGO, Sept. 27, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- John Venhuizen, President and CEO of Ace Hardware, based in Oak Brook, Ill., will discuss the critical role of small businesses at The Executives' Club of Chicago CEO Breakfast on Oct. 2 at the Palmer House Hilton.

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In his remarks, Venhuizen will underscore his perspective on how successful small businesses act as the backbone of the U.S. economy, helping drive success for larger corporations. Venhuizen will share company successes such as: Ace Hardware small business owners leveraging their expertise and role as trusted community members to help increase loyalty and drive revenue growth. Venhuizen also plans to discuss Ace Hardware's commitment to customer service and the importance of commitment throughout the organization.

Venhuizen was named Ace Hardware President and CEO in April 2013. He is the former Chief Operating Officer of Ace Hardware and has been with the company for more than 20 years. Venhuizen played an instrumental role in generating Ace Hardware's "2020 Vision," which is the corporation's long-term customer-focused strategy designed to grow the Ace Hardware brand and help Ace Hardware retailers improve their stores' performance.

Event Details

• CEO Breakfast with John Venhuizen, Wednesday, Oct. 2
  "How Small Business Success Drives Big Business Success"
  Palmer House Hilton Grand Ballroom – 17 E. Monroe Street, Chicago
  Registration and Networking: 7:15 a.m.; Breakfast and Program: 8:00-9:15 a.m.

For more information regarding this program, purchasing tickets or about The Executives' Club of Chicago please visit www.executivesclub.org.

About The Executives' Club of Chicago
One of the nation's oldest and most prestigious organizations, founded in 1911, The Club facilitates strategic relationship development, intellectual exchange and development of future leaders.  Through its Global Leaders, Women's Leadership, Chicago CEO Series and other programming, The Club brings together business, civic and academic leaders from all industries to discuss strategies that address challenges and opportunities affecting Chicago and the world. For more information on The Club, visit www.executivesclub.org.

About Ace Hardware
For nearly 90 years, Ace Hardware has been known as the place with the helpful hardware folks in thousands of neighborhoods across America, providing customers with a more personal kind of helpful. In 2013, Ace ranked "Highest in Customer Satisfaction with Home Improvement Retail Stores, Seven Years in a Row" according to J.D. Power. With more than 4,700 hardware stores locally owned and operated across the globe, Ace is the largest hardware cooperative in the industry. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace and its subsidiaries currently operate 14 distribution centers in the U.S and also have distribution capabilities in Shanghai, China; Panama City, Panama; and Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Its retailers' stores are located in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and approximately 60 countries. For more information on Ace, visit www.acehardware.com.

SOURCE The Executives' Club of Chicago