BY STEVE GEARY, EDITOR AT LARGE
DEFENSE LOGISTICS
specialreport
Ace says Afghanistan
is the place
In partnership with a local
firm—one with a firm grasp of
logistics—Ace Hardware will
open its first hardware store in
Afghanistan next year.
IN CHAOS THERE IS OPPORTUNITY.
A case in point is Afghanistan, a nation that’s been living
through some sort of civil strife continuously since the
1970s. As the current war winds down (U.S. and international troops are scheduled to depart by the end of 2014),
Afghanistan is left contemplating an uncertain future. Years
of conflict have taken their toll on the country, leaving
much of its physical infrastructure damaged or destroyed.
Before its citizens can get on with their lives, a lot of
rebuilding will need to take place.
That may not be as simple as it might sound. There are no
Home Depots or True Values—that is to say, retail operations with broad reach that stock the tools and supplies
needed for building projects. In fact, it’s not uncommon to
hear stories about construction delays caused by shortages
of basic supplies. When advised it would take weeks to get a
required item, a building engineer at one project reportedly said, “What we really need is an Ace store around here.”
