Minnesotan To Meet: Mike Frattallone Of Frattallone's Ace Hardware

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- You've likely heard his voice on the radio, know you've heard his name somewhere before or needed to run into one of his family's stores when the sink starts leaking or toilet breaks.

With 19 stores and growing, Mike Frattallone is this week's Minnesotan to Meet. The first Frattallone's Ace Hardware and Garden Store opened in 1975. Mike started working at the Arden Hills store when he was 4 years old and has been answering hardware questions ever since.

"I've lived within 10 miles of this store my entire life," Frattallone said. "I'm really branching out going to the same Rosedale Mall my entire life, same movie theaters my entire life."

It was Mike's father, Larry, who started the first store. You can still see him pop in from time to time.

"They're looking for the best looking man in the store," Larry said.

Mike not only got his sense of humor from dad, but he also inherited his dad's commitment to customer service.

"We can teach you hardware, but we can't teach you how to be a nice guy or gal," said Mike.

The company's 600 employees at 19 stores across the Twin Cities metro seem to get it. Frattallone's has been voted best hardware store by J.D. Power and Associates for the past eight years.

While Mike's brother, Tom, acquires new stores and crunches numbers, Mike has become the face of the company by advertising in numerous radio ads.

"If you need to buy a toilet, go to a big box store," said Mike. "If you need to fix a toilet, come to a hardware store and we'll teach you how to fix it."

Mike teaches in-store and online on YouTube.

"The more people know the Frattllone's (Larry, Tom and Myself), the more likely they are to stick with us then go someplace else," said Mike.

Some customers have stuck around for a while.

"My father sold appliances for Sears before, and we'll have people come in and ask him questions about appliances he sold them pre-1975," said Mike.

It's a commitment to the customer from the beginning that Mike hopes carries the company into the future. Mike has two daughters, but he's worried they don't want to take over the business. They told him they both want to be doctors.

Maybe because Mike is committed to the Children's Miracle Network, he was just voted their "Corporate Person of the Year."