The History of Pacific Hardware

More than a century ago, before Lake Berryessa came into existence, a man by the name of William “W.D.” McKenzie headed Cook, McKenzie, & Son with his son Albert “Bruz” McKenzie in Monticello, California.

When Monticello citizens were told to make way for the Monticello Dam and Lake Berryessa, W.D. retired, and Bruz and his son Albert Jr. “Sandy” McKenzie took over.span The two McKenzies bought an already existing hardware store in Vacaville in 1957 called Pacific Hardware, and Bruz and Sandy relocated to that location. When the store got too busy, Sandy invited his cousin James “Jim” McKenzie to come help out and be his partner. Just out of the Marine Corp., Jim had been driving through town when Sandy stopped him.

After graduating from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo in 1980, Sandy’s son David McKenzie came to help out at the store and never left. Today, David and his cousin Scott McKenzie, son of Jim, run the store and are well known for their complementing personalities.

Like his father David, Ian McKenzie also came to the store after graduating from Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo to continue as the fifth generation to run the business. Pacific Ace Hardware stands as one of the only small town businesses left in Vacaville and continues to hold true to its core values of truly being the helpful place while bearing competitive prices and remaining your hometown store.