Five Generations of Small-Town Service, Powered by PaladinPOS

• Business: Tolmie’s Ace Hardware
• Location: Homedale, Idaho
• Owners: Dirk and Robyn Tolmie 

The owners and staff of Tolmie’s Ace Hardwre in Homedale, Idaho.

For more than 55 years, Tolmie’s Ace Hardware has been a fixture in Homedale, Idaho, serving homeowners, farmers, contractors, and local businesses with the kind of personal service that only a family-owned store can provide. Behind the scenes, the Tolmie family has relied on Paladin Point of Sale for more than 25 years to help manage inventory, streamline operations, and support the growth of their business. 

Dirk Tolmie took over the store from his parents in 1995 after a successful career in retail management. A few years later, as the business expanded and added Ace Hardware to its offerings, he recognized the need for a better way to manage inventory and day-to-day operations. In 1999, Dirk chose Paladin POS to help him move beyond paper-based processes and gain the tools needed to run an increasingly complex retail operation. 

Dirk still remembers Paladin founders Dan and Judie Nesmith personally traveling to Homedale to install the system. 

“They flew in here, ran wire through the ceilings and all of this,” Dirk recalls, chuckling about a lesson in computer hardware from Dan, who opened the store’s new Paladin computer’s CD-ROM tray to earnestly explain why, despite appearances, “It’s not a cupholder.” 

More than two decades later, that partnership remains an important part of the store’s success. 

Managing Thousands of Products with a Small Team

Today, Tolmie’s Ace spans roughly 5,000 square feet across three buildings and carries everything from paint, tools, and fasteners to agricultural chemicals, grilling supplies, and major appliances. Popular services at the store include electronic key duplication, product assembly and delivery. Despite the breadth of inventory, the business is run by a remarkably small team: Dirk, his wife Robyn, their son Josh, and a handful of part-time employees. 

For a store of that size, inventory management is critical. 

The Tolmies rely on Paladin’s inventory tools to track stock levels, manage pricing, monitor product movement, and identify items that need to be reordered. EDI integration with Ace Hardware helps automate inventory and pricing updates, reducing manual work while helping ensure information stays current and accurate. 

Instead of spending hours researching products, checking reports, or manually updating records, the team can quickly access the information they need and focus on serving customers. 

“It’s so handy and efficient,” says Robyn. “It just takes seconds to get on and figure things out.” 

The store also makes extensive use of Paladin’s reporting capabilities, which provide visibility into sales trends, inventory performance, margins, and purchasing decisions.

Supporting Growth in a Changing Market 

As Homedale continues to grow, so do the demands on local businesses. 

“We have new housing and new businesses going in,” says Robyn. “Builders from twenty or thirty miles away come to the store if they forget something or break something.” 

At the same time, new competitors have entered nearby markets. The Tolmies believe that combining outstanding customer service with efficient business systems has helped them remain competitive while maintaining the hometown atmosphere customers value. 

Paladin’s tools help support that approach at Tolmie’s Ace by simplifying many of the daily operational tasks, including: 

House accounts are especially important to the store’s commercial customers, many of whom send employees to purchase supplies throughout the day. 

“A lot of these businesses and farmers send employees in,” Dirk explains. “They can just sign and go.” 

By making account management simple and efficient, Paladin helps the store provide the convenience local businesses need.

Technology That Lets Staff Focus on Customers 

While inventory and reporting tools keep the operation running smoothly, the Tolmies believe the real value of Paladin is the time it gives back to their team. 

Rather than being tied up in administrative work, employees can spend more time assisting customers, answering questions, and helping people find solutions. 

That customer-first philosophy has helped build the store’s reputation throughout the region. Customers frequently praise the store’s knowledgeable staff and friendly atmosphere, something Robyn considers the business’s greatest strength. 

“I personally think our specialty is customer service,” she says. “Nobody does it like we do. We know all the customers and greet them when they come in.” 

When technical issues do arise, quick support helps minimize disruptions. 

Built on Relationships 

The story of Tolmie’s Ace Hardware is ultimately a story about relationships: relationships with customers, with the community, and with trusted business partners. 

For more than 25 years, Paladin POS has helped the Tolmie family manage inventory more effectively, streamline daily operations, and adapt to a changing retail environment without losing the personal touch that makes their store unique. 

As Homedale grows and the next generation prepares to carry the business forward, the combination of local service and powerful retail technology continues to position Tolmie’s Ace for long-term success.