Meet the Chamber's Best: Vision Ace Hardware

Editor's Note: This is the final of three stories profiling the winners of 's business of the year winners. Awards were given to a small, medium and large business, and announced during a banquet  on Jan. 28. 

Between donating time, money and materials to a variety of causes, it's the immense amount of community involvment helped the Main Street branch of  earn its Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame award.

Vision Ace store manager James DeCarolis said the honor for "best large business" was hard earned and much appreciated. 

“The biggest part of why we won is how much involvement we have in the community,” DeCarolis said. “We take so much time out of every month to give back, volunteer and donate to the community.”

“We’re so thrilled, grateful and happy to be honored,” he said.

Part of the reason this location has been so successful is a new advertising campaign, developed in part by Vice President Jeffrey Gawel in conjunction with the company’s marketing team.

The goal of the campaign was to tailor the store's marketing to the community, a strategy that was soon implemented in all 60 Ace locations in Florida. 

“This was a big initiative for ownership, to emphasize the community involvement,” DeCarolis said. “That’s part of what makes Dunedin so unique, how connected people are in the community. You just don't see that anymore.” 

“We’re like a big brother here," he said. "People know we’re here to help.”

Previously Featured: 

• Best small business AdSharp, a web design and marketing company on Main Street, appeared Sunday, March 4.
• Best medium-sized business Ottoson Enterprises, a contracting and cabinetry company on Skinner Boulevard, appeared Sunday, March 11.