Luckily, Ace has John Madden up its sleeve. Despite the growth of warehouse-style competitors, Ace Hardware has remained a household name, thanks to ads featuring Madden, a former Oakland Raiders football coach and TV commentator. The company is the #1 hardware cooperative in the US, ahead of Do It Best, which operates about 4,400 member-owned stores in the US and more than 40 other countries. Ace dealer-owners operate more than 5,100 Ace Hardware stores throughout the US and in about 70 other countries. The co-op distributes to its retailers from more than 20 wholesale warehouses.