FRANCHISE·WATCH·DESK

SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · MISSOURI

Ace Hardware franchise in Missouri: what the public record shows

Franchisees of Ace Hardware in Missouri have taken 11 SBA loans since 1991 (average $559,681)— too few resolved loans in-state to publish a local failure rate (we require a resolved cohort, never extrapolate), so the brand's national rate of 12.2% is the better guide.

SBA loan outcomes · Missourivs national

Loans in MO

11

Resolved

5

Local charge-off

thin

National charge-off

12.2%

Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = MO. 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 of 30 loans.

Market density · Missouri vs nationalTypical density

Businesses in this industry

2,109

statewide, all operators

Per 100k residents

33.8

national 39.6

Versus the country

-15%

thinner

Every business in Ace Hardware's industry operating in Missouri — 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.

Same-sector systems with SBA loan history in Missouri3 systems
SystemLoans in MOLocal charge-offUnits in MO
True Value Hardware1714.3%
Snap-On Tools9thin
PAUL DAVIS RESTORATION INC FRANCHISE AGREEMENT5thin

Same sector, same state, same public records — how Ace Hardware compares to the systems a buyer in Missouri would actually be choosing between. Local rates under 10 resolved loans are marked thin, not hidden.

Before you sign anythingfree · 30 min · no commission

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 →