Forks Outfitters and Ace Hardware Honored with WFIA 2024-25 Community Service Award
Published 1:30 am Thursday, May 15, 2025
Forks Outfitters and Ace Hardware have been recognized by the Washington Food Industry Association (WFIA) for their community service. A presentation of the association’s Community Service Award was made last Thursday during a surprise visit to the store.
Owner Bruce Paul is a fourth-generation grocer whose great-grandfather was a meat cutter at the original store in Forks. Today, Forks Outfitter has become a lifeline for the town and surrounding community, located close to the Olympic National Park and just miles away from Pacific Ocean beaches.
“I cannot underscore how fortunate this community is to have someone like Bruce Paul involved not only as an independent grocer, but as a local leader,” said Tammie Hetrick, president and CEO of the Washington Food Industry Association. “Forks Outfitters and Ace Hardware provide the people of Forks and its surrounding communities with access to essential food and groceries. They are a lifeline to all who live and visit here, and we are grateful for all you do.”
Paul and his staff are deeply involved in community activities and charitable giving, whether it’s supporting youth activities, scholarships and school events (the Forks Senior Class Safe Night), the town’s July Fourth parade, programs for prisoners at Clallam Bay, and the local food bank. The store is also a hub for law enforcement and other first responders, who often meet there for coffee.
“Bruce and his employees make personal connections with their customers and know the locals on a first-name basis,” added Hetrick. “Independent grocers like Bruce Paul and Forks Outfitters are the lifeblood of our industry. They serve a vital role not only in providing access to fresh food and groceries, but also in the health and well-being of the greater community they serve.”
WFIA Community Service Award winners are nominated by fellow independent grocers from around the state.
The Washington Food Industry Association (WFIA) is dedicated to promoting and protecting the independent, community-focused grocery and convenience store industry and its suppliers. Founded in 1899, the WFIA represents the state’s independent grocers and convenience stores. Membership includes all levels of the food and beverage distribution industry that collaborate to promote the principles of free enterprise to ensure a vigorous, competitive, economically healthy food industry. The grocery and convenience store industry provides about 50,000 Washington jobs. For more information, visit www.wa-food-ind.org.
