SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA · FY1991–PRESENT · TEXAS
Ace Hardware franchise in Texas: what the public record shows
Franchisees of Ace Hardware in Texas have taken 99 SBA loans since 1991 (average $925,923), and of the 50 loans whose story has ended, 20.0% were charged off — versus 12.2% for Ace Hardware nationally and 14.8% across all rateable franchise brands.
Loans in TX
99
Resolved
50
Local charge-off
20.0%
National charge-off
12.2%
Source: SBA 7(a)/504 FOIA files (data.sba.gov), borrower state = TX. 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
6,136
statewide, all operators
Per 100k residents
19.6
national 39.6
Versus the country
-51%
thinner
Every business in Ace Hardware's industry operating in Texas — 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 TX | Local charge-off | Units in TX |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAM THE CONCRETE MAN | 23 | thin | — |
| MIGHTY DOG ROOFING | 22 | thin | — |
| Snap-On Tools | 21 | 5.9% | — |
| Heroes Lawn Care LLC | 19 | thin | — |
| EverLine Coatings and Services | 18 | thin | — |
| PAUL DAVIS RESTORATION INC FRANCHISE AGREEMENT | 16 | 10.0% | — |
| GLASS DOCTOR | 15 | thin | 23 |
| Mr. Handyman | 13 | thin | — |
| True Value Hardware | 13 | 0.0% | — |
| ACE HANDYMAN SERVICES | 12 | thin | 43 |
| Mr. Electric | 12 | thin | — |
| ProLift Garage Doors | 12 | thin | 2 |
Same sector, same state, same public records — how Ace Hardware compares to the systems a buyer in Texas 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 →