Sometimes, the best customers also make the best employees. For Mark Barry, his interest in tools opened the door for a unique job position and a special role at his local Ace Hardware.

Dan and Val Papik, owners of Crete Ace Hardware, noticed that their customer Mark was coming in quite frequently to purchase power tools. Dan had a feeling that there was more to the story, so he got to know Mark.

"I realized that he has more power tools than I have to sell," said Dan.

After chatting for a bit, Dan learned that Mark was living on a fixed income in a tiny house with his sister. Mark’s tool collecting was becoming a bit of a habit.

"I cluttered my room with tools because I had no place to put them," said Mark.

Dan decided he could help Mark by turning his passion for tools into a job at the store.

"After I got him over the edge of not buying more tools, I explained to him that I wanted him to come work for us because he knew more about tools than I did," said Dan. "That eased his tension a little bit and he kind of fell into that roll ever since."

Mark blossomed in his role at Ace, working both as a greeter and helping customers with tools.

"They offered me good hope. Good love," said Mark. "They tried to help me with everything."

After his sister passed away, Mark was living on his own. He was doing his laundry in a bathtub because he didn’t have a washer or dryer. Dan and Val stepped up and donated a washer and dryer to make Mark’s life a little easier. Mark has returned the favor by becoming a valued employee and a trusted wingman for Dan.

"Mark’s a favorite in the community," said Val. "It’s a blessing to see how he helps people that come in."

"There are a lot of people in the community that thank us for what we’ve done for Mark," said Dan. "But sometimes I don’t know that they realize what Mark has done for us. He’s just a good guy to have on your side."