Nyberg's Ace Hardware: 7 Stores, One Family, and a Cat Named Kevin | 2 B's Podcast

Nyberg's Ace Hardware has been Sioux Falls' helpful place for 68 years — across 7 stores, three generations, and one very memorable cat. This is the story. In this episode of 2 B's in a Podcast, Brad and Brian Jans (Jans Corporation) sit down with Kevin Nyberg and his daughter Kelly Nyberg at the flagship 41st & Minnesota store to talk about how a 1958 wrong-turn detour from Hibbing, Minnesota turned into one of South Dakota's most recognized family businesses — Nyberg's Ace Hardware, Nyberg's Dakota Workwear, and Nyberg's Ace Handyman Services. 🔨 What you'll learn: How Kevin's dad picked Sioux Falls over Torrington, Wyoming in 1958 — and why being the first retailer on 41st Street in 1969 still pays off today The full history of the downtown Nyberg's Ace location (yes, the old Sid's Liquor — with the Texaco pump, bakery pans, and Al Neuharth / USA Today / Sodak Sports backstory) Why "Don't chase, Nyberg's Ace is the place" still drives every location decision — and where the next three Sioux Falls stores might land (57th & Highway 100 is the one everyone asks about) Kelly Nyberg's path from LA stand-in for Selena Gomez to Dakota News Now host to running hiring and marketing at the family business How the team keeps 27- and 40-year employees — and why hiring people with disabilities is core to the Nyberg's culture Hot Classic Nights — 10th year of the downtown car show benefiting the Shriners Why Kevin's dad was the first to bring Weber Grills to South Dakota, and why Ego battery-powered lawn equipment is flying off the shelves right now The Janss Corp + Nyberg's build history — 10th & Sycamore, Sartoma & 41st, and what goes into laying out a hardware store The story behind a cat named Kevin Nyberg (you'll have to listen) ⏱️ Chapters: 00:00 Inside the downtown store: Texaco pumps, bakery pans & Sid's history 00:53 Welcome — meet Kevin and Kelly Nyberg 01:52 The buffalo Hawaiian shirt story 03:39 Is anyone nervous about doing a podcast? 04:10 1958: Hibbing, a wrong turn, and how Sioux Falls beat Torrington Wyoming 05:53 1969 — Nyberg's becomes the first retailer on 41st Street 07:55 Kevin's first paycheck at age 9 — pulling every bolt out of every bin 09:12 Helpful is the culture — traditions Kevin keeps alive 11:05 "Don't chase, Nyberg's Ace is the place" — convenience, quality, helpful 12:25 The downtown store — Sid's Liquor, Texaco, and the USA Today connection 14:14 Hot Classic Nights — 10 years of downtown car shows 16:10 The "golden ticket" — three Sioux Falls parcels and what's next 18:36 Kelly Nyberg: from LA acting to Dakota News Now 22:31 The cat named Kevin Nyberg 26:36 The future of Nyberg's Ace — Eric, the next generation 28:14 The team, the culture, and the 27- and 40-year employees 31:10 Word-of-mouth hiring and why retention is up 60% 32:48 What Sioux Falls is doing right 34:35 The Jans Corporation x Nyberg's build history 36:37 Inside the store layout — visual merchandising the helpful way 39:35 Advice for multi-generational family business 41:10 Family rules and Kelly as "interim CEO" 43:13 What's next — 57th & Highway 100 44:07 Best sellers — Ego, Weber, and Poppy's Popcorn 48:09 Rapid-fire: historical finds at the downtown store 49:14 Who's the better griller? 50:22 The one unwritten rule of working with dad 52:39 Wrapping up 🏢 About the guests: Kevin Nyberg is the second-generation owner of Nyberg's Ace Hardware in Sioux Falls, South Dakota — a 68-year-old family business with five Ace locations (41st & Minnesota, 12th & Kiwanis, 10th & Sycamore, Downtown, Sartoma & 41st), plus Nyberg's Dakota Workwear, Nyberg's Ace Handyman Services, a Watertown store, and a B2B supply division. Kelly Nyberg is on-air at Dakota News Now (segments and the quarterly "Welcome Home" show), and leads hiring and marketing at Nyberg's Ace. 🎙️ About 2 B's in a Podcast: 2 B's in a Podcast is hosted by Brad and Brian Jans of Jans Corporation — a Sioux Falls-based commercial construction company. We talk beyond the blueprint about family business, the construction world, ranching, and what keeps people building and moving forward. 🔗 Connect: Nyberg's Ace Hardware → https://www.nybergsace.com Jans Corporation → https://www.janscorp.com Subscribe for new episodes weekly 👍 If something here resonated — a story, a stat, or the cat — like the video, share it with someone in the trades or in a family business, and drop a comment below. #NybergsAceHardware #SiouxFalls #FamilyBusiness #SouthDakota #AceHardware