A Smooth Transition for ACE Tack & OUTFITTERS along with
HELGA’S GIFTS ON MAIN ST. as New Owners Step In Without Missing a Beat.

 CAMBRIDGE, October 15, 2007 / Blazing Trails Enterprises / --
Just as planned, the sale of, Ace Tack & Outfitters along with Helga’s Gifts on Main,
was completed Wed., Oct. 10th with the Store reopening the very next morning without a glitch. The new owners, Arthur & Julie Swanson of Blazing Trails Enterprises of Isanti, worked behind the scenes with sellers to insure uninterrupted service to the clientele, that comes from all over the Midwest to visit the store.
   You always plan for everything to go smoothly, but with over a dozen employees, a 16,000 square foot 4 level store filled with merchandise, a substantial internet retail sales operation and the storage of equipment and additional inventory in four buildings, you have a lot of variables to keep track of. The cooperation of seller and teamwork of our excellent management team and sales staff of Ace Tack & Outfitters and Helga’s Gifts has made our transition as smooth as possible. Every attempt was made to prevent any interruption in the excellent service our customers have grown to expect from ACE Tack.
   The Swansons are not strangers to the equine industry. Prior to the acquisition of Ace Tack and Helga’s Gifts, they operated Blazing Trails Enterprises, a tack business with a growing online presence from within their horse breeding farm, Eagle’s Bend Ranch. “Julie has a natural connection with the horses we raise and train, that has given her a great sense of what product work best for horses, riders and trainers.” Says Arthur. They see this store as a natural extension of the businesses that they are presently operating. The Swansons have also been well known in the community for over 20 years working in the Real Estate industry. Swansons presently operate Blazing Trails Realty, Inc. and Arthur Swanson Construction, Inc. They both intend to continue serving the community through their construction and real estate companies, as they take on the challenges of Ace Tack and Helga’s Gifts.      

Ace Tack and Outfitter was birthed 20 years ago by Gary and Jeanie Edblad in some extra space available in the hardware store Gary owned at the time. Both were horse lovers and didn’t like having to travel for all of the equipment and supplies needed. Over the first 10 years Jeanie expanded the tack inventory to any space found vacant in the hardware store. In 1998 a four-story department store on the corner of Main Street and Hwy. 95 was purchase for the new home of Ace Tack and Outfitters.

As the building was refurbished and inventory came in, some passers by thought they would never  fill up that huge store. Through the years, Ace Tack has expanded the original 12,000 square foot store to it’s present 16,000 square foot store filled with the best brands in the footware, clothing, saddle and tack industry. Featuring shoes and boots from Ariat, Roper and Red Wing, hunting and work wear by Carhartt and a great lineof clothing with Wrangler, Cruel Girl and many other name brands, Ace soon grew into more than your typical tack shop. Unlike most tack shops that carry fewer brands and a limited selection of saddles, Ace currently has close to 300 new saddles in the store from industry leaders like Circle Y, Bates, Tucker, Dakota, Martin, Timberline and more for every riding style. Ace’s Hat Room also offers the services of hat cleaning, shaping, sizing and custom hat design.  

   In the past year Helga’s Gifts was acquired and is now located on the main floor of Ace Tack and Outfitters. Over the past 20 years, Helga’s has served Cambridge as a mainstay at the Cambridge Mall with a variety of fine jewelry, candy, gifts and memorabilia from Willow Tree, Yankee Candle, Makasa Crystal, and more. The addition of Helga’s has proven to be an excellent addition to the gifts, jewelry, toys and collectables from Breyer, Painted Pony, Montana Silver, Finishing Touch and more already carried by Ace Tack and Outfitters.