SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · KENTUCKY
Ace Hardware franchise in Kentucky: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Ace Hardware in Kentucky have taken 13 SBA loans since 1991 (average $346,276), and of the 10 loans whose story has ended, 0.0% were charged off — versus 12.2% for Ace Hardware nationally and 14.8% across all rateable franchise brands.
Loans in KY
13
Resolved
10
Local charge-off
0.0%
National charge-off
12.2%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = KY. Charge-off rate = charged-off ÷ (charged-off + paid-in-full); open loans excluded. A local rate is published only when the resolved cohort clears our floor.
Businesses in this industry
1,096
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
23.9
national 39.6
Versus the country
-40%
thinner
Every business in Ace Hardware's industry operating in Kentucky — franchised and independent — from the Census Bureau's County Business Patterns (2023), against 2024 population estimates. Counter-intuitively, density is not a warning: across 198 brand-state cells in our loan data, the densest quartile charges off at 5.6% versus 18.1% in the thinnest. A crowded market is usually proven demand; an empty one is often empty for a reason.
| System | Loans in KY | Local charge-off | Units in KY |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLASS DOCTOR | 5 | thin | 2 |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how Ace Hardware compares to the systems a buyer in Kentucky would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.
A broker is paid by the franchisor to place you. An independent CPA is paid by you — and the job is pressure-testing Ace Hardware's numbers, including talking you out of a bad deal.
Talk to an independent CPA before you buy →