BrandSource member Neil’s Ace Home Center operates a 25,000-square-foot superstore on Pago Pago.
By Dori Easterson, YSN
BrandSource dealers can be found across the country, but we bet you wouldn’t think to look for one in the South Pacific.
But that’s exactly where new Pac Rim members Neil and Sala Scratch set up shop. Their business, Neil’s Ace Home Center, is located on the island of Pago Pago in American Samoa, where they sell a wide range of home goods, building materials, housewares and more.
The couple started out in 1984 by selling electrical materials from their garage under the American Industries banner. Along with their children, the Scratch’s continued to grow their business and extend their product mix, and by 1999 moved to their current location, a 25,000-square-foot home center in the town of Malaeimi.
To mark their 30th anniversary in 2014, and to reflect their expansive assortment, the company held a grand re-opening under the new name Neil’s Ace Home Center. Today, the business employs more than 100 staffers and offers a full range of furniture, appliances, lumber and home improvement products within a superstore format.
Besides serving as a one-stop shop, Neil’s can also attribute its success to its commitment to exceptional customer service and its dedication to its employees and community. The Scratch family makes a point of noting team members’ birthdays or other personal milestones, and regularly holds employee appreciation days. Every staffer is also recognized for their years of service with Neil’s, and given the positive company culture and high morale, it’s no surprise that many employees are long timers.
Outside its doors, Neil’s shows it support for the community by donating time and raising funds to support local causes, and team members will don T-shirts to help raise awareness. Among its recent efforts, the Home Center raised more than $31,000 for the American Samoa Community Cancer Coalition, and its Facebook page is filled with similar endeavors.
So, to our new Samoan friends we say Afio mai i luga o le vaa (welcome aboard)!
BrandSource, a unit of YSN publisher AVB Inc., is a nationwide buying group for independent appliance, mattress, furniture and CE dealers.
