There were a couple of notable recent updates in the retail outdoor cooking space. There was more industry consolidation in hardware, and Academy Sports continue their new store growth.

Houchens Food Group Acquires Kabelin Ace Hardware

Houchens Food Group (HFG), a holding company of restuarants, grocery stores, and hardware stores, has agreed to purchase Kabelin Ace Hardware. It’s the latest acquisition in a string of consolidation in the hardware space.

Kabelin Ace is family-owned and has eight stores in Northwest Indiana. Their locations include the following.

• 727 W Michigan St. New Carlisle, Indiana
• 2309 E Michigan St. Michigan, Indiana
• 432 St. John Rd. Michigan, Indiana
• 410 Indiana St. Walkerton, Indiana
• 12820 Adams Rd. Granger, Indiana
• 52295 In-933 South Bend, Indiana
• 605 E Lincolnway La Porte, Indiana

All employees will be retained in the transition, and the Kabelin brand name will be retained. HFG also has plans to expand the local Ace franchise into adjacent markets.

While we’re proud of the business our family has built, it has become increasingly difficult to operate as a small independent retailer in this day and age. We knew we wanted to continue the Kabelin legacy, but we wanted to do it from a position of strength while also giving back to our employees. By partnering with Houchens, we believe we’re securing the future of our company while also ensuring the longevity of our stores and serving the people that matter most – our employees and our communities.

Mackenzie Kabelin Watkins, President of Kabelin Ace Hardware

Mackenzie Kabelin Watkins will continue on with HFG post-close as Director of Operations to focus on strategic growth of the division. All other leadership and local management will also be retained.

What makes Kabelin special is how much they care about their customers, their people, and their communities. That spirit fits perfectly with who we are. We’re excited to welcome the Kabelin team into our employee-owned family and continue serving Northern Indiana.

Tracy Worley, Vice President of Houchens Food Group

Academy Sports Adds 5 Stores

Academy Sports + Outdoors has continued their quick pace of new store openings. They’ll have 24 new stores in 2025, with five openings in Q4.

We are thrilled to expand our footprint with 24 new stores while also giving back to local communities who demonstrate a passion for sports and outdoors. As the holiday season approaches, we are confident in our value-leading product assortment of top brands curated to bring joy to every member of the family at undefeatable prices.

Eric Friederich, Senior Vice President of Retail Operations at Academy Sports + Outdoors

Each store held a grand opening with deals, giveaways, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The Q4 opening locations were as follows.

• Russellville, AR
• Seguin, TX
• Fort Wayne, IN
• El Paso, TX
• New Braunfel, TX

It’s a mixture of adding density to existing areas that they service and increasing their geography. Fort Wayne, IN appears to be their northernmost store now, replacing the mid-Ohio locations. They’re getting very close to my home state of Michigan.