Ed Heilman was a man destined to meet any challenge. During the heart of the depression, Ed (a salesman for Kansas City White Goods) fought for his family by boxing at area clubs…under the name Ace… to help make ends meet. When layoffs began occurring at his work, he answered the bell by starting a linen supply business on the side. The year was 1932, and the company was Ace Linen Service & Laundry. A true “Cinderella Man,” Ace earned the respect of fans and customers alike with his hands-on drive and hunger to succeed.
With $1800 in savings, Clara (Ed's wife) bought bolts of fabric and began sewing towels. Ed went door to door after work seeking customers. The "production" floor consisted of a small washing machine, sewing machine and a hand iron located in the basement of their residence. Their first customer was the corner grocer.
Our company started as Ace and after 75 years we’ve come full circle. During the Era when Yellow Page advertising was so popular, we changed our name to AAA to optimize our placement in the directory. When we purchased Shepherd’s in Texas, we kept that name because Shepherd’s had been around since the 1800’s and had strong name recognition in its market. However, as part of the Ace Heilman family, and with the timing of our 75th anniversary, it was the right time to bring everyone together under our founder’s name.