Franchise brands › Ace Hardware
Franchise brand808 approvals since FY2010
SBA loans to Ace Hardware franchises
Approvals SBA files under the brand's franchise code. The loans are to independent franchise owners; this page describes the brand in aggregate and no franchisee.
SBA approvals by fiscal year. The federal fiscal year runs 1 October to 30 September, so FY2025 is 1 October 2024 to 30 September 2025. *FY2026 is open: approvals to 30 Jun 2026 only.
Since FY2010, 808 SBA loan approvals worth $677M carry the Ace Hardware franchise code, 257 of them in FY2021 to FY2025.
In FY2025 there were 32, up 129% on FY2024. The average approval in the five-year window was $1.0M, and 39 of the approvals were 504 loans.
50 lenders made the FY2021 to FY2025 loans across 44 states; the most active were Live Oak Banking Company (56), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (19) and The Huntington National Bank (10).
Of loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021 and disbursed, SBA records 3.3% as charged off, below the 6.0% for all SBA loans from those years. The figures describe loans to independent franchise owners, not the franchisor.
Loan status is as recorded by SBA at the data date; charge-off rates are computed on loans approved at least five fiscal years ago. Jobs supported are self-reported estimates from the SBA loan application, which SBA does not review, audit or validate. Data through 30 Jun 2026.
Loans by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Approvals | Dollars approved | Average approval | of which 504 | Jobs supported, as reported |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2026* | 47 | $69.1M | $1.5M | 7 | 834 |
| FY2025 | 32 | $42.5M | $1.3M | 3 | 832 |
| FY2024 | 14 | $10.6M | $760K | 3 | 220 |
| FY2023 | 42 | $48.8M | $1.2M | 8 | 765 |
| FY2022 | 64 | $54.8M | $856K | 8 | 1,277 |
| FY2021 | 105 | $104M | $994K | 17 | 1,760 |
| FY2020 | 69 | $59.3M | $859K | 12 | 942 |
| FY2019 | 45 | $41.9M | $930K | 12 | 704 |
| FY2018 | 48 | $29.3M | $610K | 7 | 816 |
| FY2017 | 39 | $36.5M | $935K | 7 | 645 |
| FY2016 | 40 | $27.6M | $690K | 8 | 476 |
SBA's franchise field lists the brand as "ACE HARDWARE"; "Ace Hardware". Codes SBA has used for the same brand name are added together.
Charge-off cohort rate
| Loans approved FY2010–FY2021 | Ace Hardware | All SBA loans |
|---|---|---|
| Approvals in these years | 609 | 725,496 |
| Cancelled or never disbursed | 66 | 91,827 |
| Disbursed loans | 543 | 633,669 |
| Paid in full | 331 | 471,304 |
| Charged off | 18 | 37,796 |
| Still outstanding (status exempt from disclosure) | 194 | 124,569 |
| Charged off, share of disbursed loans | 3.3% | 6.0% |
| Dollars charged off, share of disbursed dollars | 1.0% | 2.2% |
| Dollars charged off | $4.1M | $6.20bn |
Lenders
| # | Lender, FY2021–FY2025 | Approvals | Dollars | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Live Oak Banking CompanyWilmington, NC | 56 | $69.7M | 21.8% | |
| 2 | Wells Fargo Bank National AssociationSioux Falls, SD | 19 | $15.5M | 7.4% | |
| 3 | The Huntington National BankColumbus, OH | 10 | $4.5M | 3.9% | |
| 4 | National Cooperative Bank, National AssociationHillsboro, OH | 9 | $10.7M | 3.5% | |
| 5 | Nicolet National BankGreen Bay, WI | 8 | $3.4M | 3.1% | |
| 6 | Byline BankChicago, IL | 6 | $11.6M | 2.3% | |
| 7 | The American National Bank of TexasTerrell, TX | 6 | $4.2M | 2.3% | |
| 8 | BayFirst National BankSaint Petersburg, FL | 5 | $1.7M | 1.9% | |
| 9 | CDC Small Business Finance Corp.San Diego, CA · CDC | 4 | $6.6M | 1.6% | |
| 10 | Zions Bank, A Division ofSalt Lake City, UT | 4 | $3.0M | 1.6% | |
| 11 | Small Business Growth CorporationSpringfield, IL · CDC | 4 | $2.3M | 1.6% | |
| 12 | Five Star BankRancho Cordova, CA | 4 | $2.0M | 1.6% | |
| 13 | BMO Bank National AssociationChicago, IL | 3 | $5.4M | 1.2% | |
| 14 | Florida Business Development CorporationTampa, FL · CDC | 3 | $4.5M | 1.2% | |
| 15 | Columbia BankLake Oswego, OR | 3 | $4.2M | 1.2% |
States
| # | State of the business, FY2021–FY2025 | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | 31 | 12.1% | |
| 2 | California | 31 | 12.1% | |
| 3 | Georgia | 20 | 7.8% | |
| 4 | Michigan | 15 | 5.8% | |
| 5 | Ohio | 13 | 5.1% | |
| 6 | Arizona | 12 | 4.7% | |
| 7 | Colorado | 11 | 4.3% | |
| 8 | Oregon | 9 | 3.5% | |
| 9 | Florida | 8 | 3.1% | |
| 10 | Minnesota | 8 | 3.1% | |
| 11 | Wisconsin | 8 | 3.1% | |
| 12 | Illinois | 8 | 3.1% | |
| 13 | Indiana | 7 | 2.7% | |
| 14 | South Carolina | 6 | 2.3% | |
| 15 | Washington | 5 | 1.9% |
Filed under
| # | Industry group | Approvals | Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Building Material and Supplies DealersNAICS 4441 | 244 | 94.9% | |
| 2 | Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods Merchant WholesalersNAICS 4249 | 3 | 1.2% | |
| 3 | Hardware, and Plumbing and Heating Equipment and Supplies Merchant WholesalersNAICS 4237 | 3 | 1.2% | |
| 4 | Grocery StoresNAICS 4451 | 3 | 1.2% | |
| 5 | Automotive Parts, Accessories, and Tire StoresNAICS 4413 | 1 | 0.4% |
Approval sizes
- $50,000 or less2.7%7
- $50,001 to $150,00012.1%31
- $150,001 to $350,00012.5%32
- $350,001 to $1 million38.5%99
- $1 million to $2 million21.0%54
- Over $2 million13.2%34
Age of the businesses
- Existing, more than 2 years old35.0%90
- New business, 2 years or less11.7%30
- Startup, loan funds will open the business27.2%70
- Change of ownership25.7%66
- Not answered0.4%1
Questions and answers
How many SBA loans go to Ace Hardware franchises?
808 approvals since FY2010, worth $677M; 257 in FY2021 to FY2025.
Which lenders make SBA loans for Ace Hardware franchises?
By approvals in FY2021 to FY2025: Live Oak Banking Company (56), Wells Fargo Bank National Association (19), The Huntington National Bank (10), National Cooperative Bank, National Association (9), Nicolet National Bank (8).
How large is a typical SBA loan for a Ace Hardware franchise?
The average approval in FY2021 to FY2025 was $1.0M.
What share of Ace Hardware SBA loans are charged off?
Of 543 disbursed loans approved in FY2010 to FY2021, 18 (3.3%) are recorded as charged off; for all SBA loans from those years the figure is 6.0%.
Are SBA loans to Ace Hardware franchises rising?
Approvals in the three latest complete fiscal years total 88, against 238 in the three before: falling (-63%).
About these figures
Figures are totals of the Small Business Administration's 7(a) and 504 FOIA loan files, data through 30 Jun 2026. SBA updates the files quarterly. Counts are loan approvals, including approvals later cancelled; the five-year window is FY2021–FY2025, the five latest complete fiscal years. Charge-off rates use only loans approved in FY2010–FY2021, at least five fiscal years ago, and count disbursed loans SBA records as charged off. Loans are listed under the lender they are assigned to today. Dollar figures behind fewer than three approvals are not shown, and no borrower is named anywhere on this site.Methodology · Report an error