JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – As families across the state prepare for the impacts of Hurricane Ian, area Ace Hardware stores are making sure their shelves remain fully stocked for customers.
Employees at the Hagan Ace Hardware store on San Jose Boulevard in Mandarin were up bright and early Monday morning to unload a truck full of gas cans, generators and charcoal.
“This was the first order that we got that came in to have stuff to prepare for it. If it looks like we need more, and it looks like it’s going to be more of a direct hit, more orders will go in and more trucks will come out,” said store manager Kevin Gowen.
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Store leaders met over the weekend to come up with a game plan so that customers are able to get all of the supplies they need ahead of the storm.
“We have a team that we put together at Hagan Ace, and they tend to monitor the storm, the different changes in the storm,” Gowen said.
Gowen said the store has a checklist to help customers with their hurricane kits. He said the list helped many people over the weekend.
“I believe there’s a lot of new people that have moved to Florida that’s never been through a hurricane, so they really don’t know what to expect. I believe those are the people that came in first. People that’s just a little nervous,” Gowen said.
Gowen said that another truck is coming in Monday night and that the store plans to remain open daily and well stocked throughout the storm.
“Our goal is to be one of the last businesses to close down and one of the first businesses to open up,” Gowen said. “We’re here for the community and what they need.”