Robin Green Celebrates 25 Years of Building Trust at ACE Hardware

These days, the average American spends about four years at a job before they move on. It’s become common for people to keep an eye on their professional horizon. That makes Robin Green’s history an increasingly unique jewel. This month, she’s celebrating 25 years working for ACE Hardware.

Long-term careers like Green’s are becoming less common in the modern workforce. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, median employee tenure across the country sits at just over four years. In retail, where turnover can be especially high, it’s even rarer to find someone who has dedicated a quarter century to one company. For customers and coworkers alike, that kind of consistency often translates into deep knowledge of both the business and the community it serves.

“From May of 2001 until April 2014, I worked at our Keizer store as the bookkeeper for half the day and a cashier and customer service associate for the balance of the day,” Green says of her start with the company. “I worked my way up to Assistant Manager ,which I did for 2-3 years. After the store closed, I was one of the lucky folks who was transferred to the West Salem store.”

It was there that Green was charged with starting a B2B sales program. “I was a bit dismayed,” she recalls. “I thought I would continue in management and I didn’t even know what B2B meant!”

Green got her start by studying the material from ACE Hardware’s online classes designed to educate associates and instruct them in B2B development in the store. “It was slow going in the beginning,” confesses Green. She remained undeterred.

“I went to businesses outside the store to introduce myself, and chose a flooring company owner I knew as my first contact. I followed the suggestions I’d learned from my ACE classes, and told him it wasn’t a sales call, I just wanted to visit with him.

“I got to about the third question ACE said I should ask and he stopped me cold. He said ‘Robin, this sounds a lot like a sales call!’ I looked at him, said yes, it sure does and never used that approach again.

“Now, I stop in at a business, explain that I’m there to introduce myself, give them a brief explanation of the benefits of shopping at ACE and how I can help. Most businesses don’t have time for a long interruption and will turn off listening within a minute, so I make the contact quick and to the point. I truly enjoy my business customers personally and I like finding solutions for their needs.”

Business-to-business relationships like the ones Green cultivates play an important role in hardware retail. Contractors, property managers, and small business owners rely on dependable suppliers for everything from tools to specialty materials. A knowledgeable contact inside the store can make those relationships far smoother, helping professionals track down hard-to-find products, place special orders, or identify solutions to unexpected problems on a job site.

Green finds joy in the fact that there’s no “typical” day for her. Her desk is strategically located next to the cash registers so she can introduce herself to business owners and explain the benefits ACE offers to business customers who stock up on-site.

Green is also charged with several other duties at West Salem’s ACE Hardware. “I open new accounts, maintain current accounts including charge accounts, place orders for specific things a customer has asked for, or research where I can get an item if it’s not available through our ACE warehouse.”

Those responsibilities require a mix of organizational skill, product knowledge, and customer service experience — qualities Green has developed steadily over her decades with the company. In many ways, the role blends the technical side of retail with the personal relationships that keep local businesses coming back.

Green will gladly go above and beyond if it means finding the right product for her clients. Not the most expensive product, or the one that’s easiest to get her hands on: the right product.

“My relationships are built on trust and honesty,” says Green. “If I don’t have an answer to a question, I will research the information or ask for help. I won’t sell a customer something that isn’t appropriate for the project or that is not needed. Those are the building blocks for long-term, long-lasting partnerships, and I’m honored to help these folks.

“I’m most proud of the fact that I’m able to help most of my businesses most of the time. Plus, many of my business folks have become friends in addition to being my customers.”

After 25 years with ACE Hardware, Green’s career stands as a testament to the power of dedication, adaptability, and personal relationships, in a changing retail landscape. In a world where many workers move frequently between jobs, her story offers a reminder that long-term commitment can still build something meaningful — both for a business and for the community it serves.