About Firm

In 1868, a carpenter from Adams Center, New York, O.D. Greene, Sr. (Orange DeGrasse Greene),
established the Adams Center Sash and Blind Factory, a steam powered mill which, by the end of
the 19th century was the chief industry in that northern New York community. The mill burned in
1895 and was rebuilt and refurnished with all new machinery and a water wheel. In 1904 O.D.
Greene Jr., who worked with his father, bought a mill on the north bank of Sandy Creek in Adams,
N. Y. When his father died in 1911, the mill in Adams Center was abandoned, and the following
spring, the machinery was moved to the Adams location and O.D. Greene Lumber Co. was
established. A log dam was used to contain water to run an undershot water wheel. In 1933 the
dam was replaced with a concrete structure and a more efficient water turbine was added. Water
power was used to turn the main line shaft and several jack or secondary shafts. In the 1960's a
diesel engine was used to power the shafts that ran the table saws, planers, foursided sticker
machines, a sander, a grinder, and mortise and tenon machines. The leather belts were still hand
laced and the Babbitt bearing were hand poured.

Rick Stevens and David Vorce purchased the business from the estate of Franklin Waite, a
son-in-law of O.D. Jr. in 1976 and a third partner, Jim Bettinger soon joined the business. With the
retirement of Gerald Greene in the mid 1980's, with 62 years of service (his father before him had
worked for the Company 61 years), the mill equipment was moved to Hanford Mills Museum in
East Meridith, N.Y. Sales in the lumber and hardware increased and with the joining with Ace
Hardware in 1981, the store increased in size from 1,200 square feet to 2,400. Jim and Dave
retired in 1985. A second store was built on Route 3 in Sackets Harbor and opened April 1. 1988.
On Saturday, September 28, 1991, 6:07 p.m., the Jefferson County Fire Control Center received
notification of a fire at the O.D. Greene Lumber Co.. Within minutes, the fire could be seen from
many miles away, Fifteen Fire Departments and over 350 firefighters and emergency medical
personnel assisted with the battle. Three Adams fireman were hospitalized. With the assistance
and support of the community and employees, O.D. Greene opened the following Monday morning
in temporary trailers loaned by the Blount Lumber Co. and Bill Kellogg of Tug Hill Construction.
Help and support from Redwood National Bank, Oswego Country Mutual Insurance Company, the
Adam's Town Board, and Ace Hardware allowed for O.D. Greene to reopen April 1, 1992, at the
new, expanded location on Route 11, just 6 months after the fire. The moral and physical support of
the employees and the whole community made it possible. A debt that will never be able to be fully
repaid.

ACE and O.D. GREENE

Since 1981when O.D. Greene joined Ace Hardware, the business has experienced a steady and
health growth. Ace has supplied more than just a quality product at a fair price, Ace has assisted
with computerization, marketing, training, best practices, and all of the other essentials that a small
business needs in today's business world to succeed. Ace's field staff and management team are
the best in the industry. If you would like to know about Ace Hardware or are interested in owing a
store of your own, visit Ace at www.acehardware.com or give Rick Stevens a call at ODG.

O. D. Greene Lumber & Hardware, as a company will be guided by the ethics and belief of the
owner, management and every employee, displaying honesty and integrity in all our endeavors.

Our Goal is to create customer service that is not just the best but legendary.

We will hire employees who are courteous and friendly, and provide training in product knowledge
and service.

We will merchandise only products with the highest standards for quality at a reasonable price,
and uphold Ace's "no hassle return policy" to insure our customer's satisfaction.

We are confident that our honor, range of products and quality of services will distinguish us from
all of our major competitors.

O.D. Greene encourages employees to support non-profit organizations and to be involved in their
community, Employees have been involved in Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Little League, youth and
church groups, Rotary, SCORE, and the children's Miracle Network, to name a few.

The Adams store received Ace Hardware's prestigious President's Cup in 1999 for being their
outstanding Home Center on the east coast. An honor that was achieved (and maintained) by team
work and more recently, the Syracuse SBA (Small Business Administration) Entrepreneurial
Success Award of the year was given to O.D. Greene Lumber Co., Inc in 2005. We are very proud of
these awards and the employees that have made them possible.