The Clouse Family Business founded as the Glennie Mercantile Company by Earl Fury in 1914, he was married to Clara Clouse. Some years later, in the mid 30’s, Earl Fury sold the business to his brother in law Frank Dear, who was married to Mae Clouse.

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In 1947 Al Clouse bought the business from his Uncle Frank Dear after working for him as a young man and again worked for his Uncle Frank after returning from serving in the Army in WWII. The store at the time was also an International Harvester dealer. After purchasing the business, Al changed the store into a self serve grocery store. Prior to that time, all customers were waited on from behind the counter. The business was named Al’s General store. He also continued to sell Farmall tractors, farm implements and appliances. They were shocked in 1950 when Al was called back into the service during the Korean War and his wife Connie took over running the store while he was away.  After coming home from the service, he gave up the International Harvester dealership.

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In 1953 Al & Connie Clouse built the new store in Glennie, Michigan where the Ace Hardware is now located.  It was called Al’s General Store and IGA Supermarket.  Approximately 1960 they separated the grocery and hardware and they ran them as two separate businesses.

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In 1961 they leased the grocery part to George and Jean Nuffer for 10 years, while they continued to run their hardware and variety store.

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Roger Clouse started out at age 16 working for his dad in the hardware store until he got out of high school. After high school he worked in shops off and on for four years. He told his mom that he did not like his job and was not sure what he was going to do. She asked him if he would like to run the grocery store when the Nuffer’s moved out in two years, he thought yes. He planned to run the grocery store temporarily until his dad retired, because he really wanted to go into the hardware and lumber business.

In 1971 Al and Connie’s son Roger Clouse remodeled the grocery portion of the store, after Nuffer’s moved out, and he started the Glennie SuperMarket. The store included the first self-serve meat case in Glennie.

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In November of 1977 Roger opened the new Roger’s Self Serve gas station, the first step in his new store location, and a month later married Sherry Forton.

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In 1978 Roger and Sherry Clouse began construction on the new Roger’s IGA supermarket located behind the self-serve stations which opened in August of 1979.

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In 1993 Al Clouse had a stroke while locking the door to the Hardware.  Roger took over operations and remodeled the store and received “Hardware of the Year” from Trustworthy Hardware Corporation in 1994.

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In 1996 Roger and Sherry Clouse purchased the Glennie Hardware and switched to Ace Hardware in 1998.  In 1999 they received an award for “Most Improved Hardware” from ACE Hardware Corporation.  Another renovation to expand the store to a 7,000 sq. ft. Ace Hardware was completed in 2000.  Expanded niches’ include propane filling station, gift shop, and sporting goods.

In 2000 Roger suggested to Byron, after the success of the growth of the Glennie Ace Hardware, about the possibility of a chain of Ace Hardware stores.  Roger’s goal was to own 4 stores for his sons, if they wanted to be a part of the family business.

In 2005 the Clouse family built a new 16,500 sq. ft. hardware in Lewiston, Michigan called Lewiston Ace Hardware. Roger and Sherry’s son Byron became the manager over the new hardware.  Lewiston Ace Hardware also has many niches’ including: propane filling station, a large sporting goods department, a large gift shop, and a full nursery greenhouse.

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In 2012 Roger and Byron Clouse together purchased the Carter Shopping Plaza in Oscoda Michigan.

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They also leased 16,500 sq. ft. of the building to Goodwill and in 2013 opened a 17,500 sq. ft. grocery and 9,000 sq. ft. hardware store called Roger’s Family Foods and Oscoda Ace Hardware.  Ryan Clouse, the youngest of the four sons, manages the store in Oscoda.  It is a combined grocery and hardware store with fresh cut meat, full line deli, lumber, sporting goods, gift shop, 2,600 sq. ft. greenhouse, and the largest beer cave in the county.

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In 2015 Roger and Byron Clouse together purchased the 14,000 sq. ft. Gladwin ACE Hardware.  In November Brandon finished his service from the US Army and came home to manage the hardware.  After purchasing the business, the store went through a full interior remodel.  The remodel added a gift shop inside, doubled the size of the prior sporting goods, and a nursery greenhouse was added.

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Since then, the Clouse family in their 4th generation of retailing has grown their business to over 20 Ace Hardwares, 5 Roger’s Family Foods stores.

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In 2018 Byron Clouse won the National Retail Hardware Association Young Retailer of the Year Award.

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In 2023 Ryan Clouse won the National Retail Hardware Association Young Retailer of the Year Award.

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The Clouse family is very community minded, and is a main focus for all of the stores.  Many promotions are done each year to get involved in each of the communities.  All stores are a part of the Chamber of Commerce in their location. We also make many different donations and give help to raise money for different organizations including the Lion’s Club, churches, and schools.

Byron, Brandon, and Ryan manage the daily operations.  They are the fourth generation of the family business and are the legacy of the Clouse family.