At Hulen Ace Hardware, you’ll likely meet its ace before you even see any hardware.

Joseph Edwards stands right at the front, in the exact same spot, from Fridays through Sundays.

“All day; eight hours I stand right here,” he said.

Ace Hardware 66 sits on Sycamore School Road.

For over eight years, Edwards has been a constant bright light there, greeting customers with a smile and, oftentimes, jokes.

“I always tell all my friends and coworkers and customers, ‘If I can’t have no fun, I don’t want to come,’” Edwards said.

It’s a motto in his manual for success.

“I like people with good spirits. And if I can add to that, that kind of gives me some joy,” he said.

He’s become a friend to coworkers and a fan-favorite of customers, said his boss, David Eubank.

“Customers will come in dur

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