THUNDER BAY — After 35 years in business, Ace DeGiacomo, owner of Adex-Marketing, has decided to venture into the world of retirement, shuttering his popular Adex store in the Arthur Street Marketplace.
DeGiacomo began his company by providing educational and interactive story books to stores in Thunder Bay and the region and called his career "very successful."
"I didn't have that type of (brick and mortar) store and we went around dropping off books and items at businesses and then we would go back a week later (restock) and pick up things," DeGiacomo said. "Then the internet killed it. So I opened up the store here (in the Marketplace) mall."
He pointed out how much he likes people and enjoys working with them.
"I worked at a mill for years and I would get up in the morning after my shift, drive to Atikokan, and make 20 calls (delivering inventory) to the different businesses. Then I would drive back, pick them up the next week and I really enjoyed that and I miss that," he said.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, DeGiacomo stayed open, changing the business to sell a wide variety of masks. He made sure to donate many masks to The Underground Gym for the children and their families who didn't have easy access to masks.
Last month, DeGiacomo gathered his entire inventory at his store in Thunder Bay, boxed it up and donated every single item to the Underground Gym.
"What I had left wasn't going to make me rich," he laughed. "I figured, I have to give it to somebody who needs it so I'm going to give all this stuff to Peter Panetta and let him distribute the way he wants."
Panetta, who owns and operates the Underground Gym, was thrilled to receive the items and called DeGiacomo "a really nice guy."
"He called me up and said, 'I'm closing shop and whatever's left over, I want to donate it to you for the gym,'" Panetta said.
"I told him I appreciated that."
Panetta added that there is a variety of different items, including toys, women's grooming items, housewares, bedsheets and some clothing.
"I'm just going to pass it on to my, my underground families. Most of them don't have very much of anything. So I'm just going to distribute it accordingly. It's going to be out there on the table at the gym and they can just take whatever they need."
Next month, the Underground Gym will celebrate 25 years of operation, providing a safe space for vulnerable children and servicing their needs.
The Chronicle Journal / Local Journalism Initiative
