It all began back in May of 1975 when Norman "Gus" Gustafson and his son Paul bought the company and moved into a small building across South Flores street in downtown San Antonio, Texas. The inventory consisted of some bar stools, tables and chairs, a few ranges and some used equipment. The first year's receipts were $180,000. Quite a contrast from today, when we have 13 physical stores across Texas, an online store, approximately 7500 in-stock items, 300-plus associates company-wide, and annual sales well over $70 million.

What led to this phenomenal growth?

Gus saw an opportunity to provide service to small, "mom and pop" type customers that the foodservice equipment distributors and food houses did not typically deal with. In a time when most dealers sold from catalogs, Gus chose to have those items that operators needed the most often in stock, on the shelf, clearly and competitively priced. He also chose to operate as "cash and carry". Gus' philosophy was that since he could not afford to carry both inventory and Accounts Receivable, he would focus on inventory. The proceeds from the sale of the inventory were constantly reinvested in more products and a broader line of inventory.

The 1980's launched a remarkable period of growth for the company statewide. Norma Gustafson, Gus' daughter, joined her father and brother in 1980. Four years later, Ace Mart opened a second store located in Austin as well as a distribution center in San Antonio. A few years later, two new stores were soon opened, one in Houston and another in Dallas.

Ace Mart's steady growth continued to increase during the 1990's when a fourth Gustafson family member, Carl Gustafson, joined the family business in 1991. By now, all of the major markets in Texas had an Ace Mart location, and the entire state was being covered with the Ace Mart monthly sales flyer.

Along with a growing staff of Ace Mart professionals, the "Ace Mart Way" was gaining a lot of momentum, and from 1993 to 2000 eight new stores were opened throughout Texas, an average of about one per year. The Corporate Office and main Distribution center were moved to the Austin Highway location in northeast San Antonio; an 85,000 square foot facility that includes the Austin Highway store, the Corporate Office, and a 50,000 square foot state-of-the-art Distribution Center.

The new millennium continues to provide challenges and opportunities. The overall economic downturn that was made worse by the attacks of September 11 dramatically affected sales and profitability and prompted close examination of every aspect of our business. Expenses were cut, adjustments were made, associates in every department were challenged to work smarter and harder and as a result, we are now a more efficient and stronger company. One of the few bright spots of this period was the fact that Ace Mart did not have to layoff any people, as was happening to so many other businesses in the industry.

Today, we're still headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, and the family business is operated under the co-ownership of Paul, Norma, and Carl Gustafson. Over $10 million dollars of inventory is maintained in over 250,000 square feet of showroom space throughout our 13 store locations in Texas. Distribution Centers in Dallas and San Antonio ensure that new inventory arrives weekly to keep shelves well-stocked.

The future of Ace Mart looks promising indeed. With the phenomenal growth of our online store, AceMart.com, and additional store locations in Texas and neighboring states now in the planning stages, Ace Mart will strive to continue serving our current customers, as well as new customers, in new and exciting ways.

Our mission statement:

Ace Mart seeks to be an innovative leader in the distribution of food service equipment and supplies and is committed to surpassing the expectations of our customers, employees, and suppliers.