Our People

Rick Bibens, president of Bibens Ace Hardware, began his career in 1978 when he moved back to Springfield, VT to takeover his father’s hardware store and lumber yard, Bibens Home Center. Over the past 40 years, Rick has grown the company from a single store to seven locations servicing Vermont from Brattleboro to Burlington.  He served on the national board of directors of Ace Hardware for nine years, representing the eastern region for Ace Hardware Corporation.

Rick has always been highly involved in the local community, where he is one of the founding members and president of the Springfield Regional Development Corporation, a board member of the Springfield Chamber of Commerce, a former board member and Chairman of the Board of Springfield Hospital and of Springfield Medical Care Systems, In 2004, he was named Springfield’s ‘Citizen of the Year,’ where he currently resides in Springfield with his wife Gail, parents of three, and doting grandparents of six.

Matt Sacco grew up in Washington Township, NJ, a town that is almost like a little slice of Vermont.  Matt received a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance from the University of Delaware (where he met his future-wife, Erica Bibens), and a Master’s Degree in Accounting from the University of Virginia.

Matt and Erica soon made the move to Philadelphia, PA, when he took a job with Ernst & Young, during which he pursued his CPA license.  They continued on to Boston, MA when Matt joined the Consulting and the Mergers & Acquisitions practice for Ernst & Young.  After having their first child, Matt and Erica wished to be closer to family, and so moved to Vermont.  This move was a welcomed change from corporate life, as he joined the family business as Vice President of Operations of Bibens Ace, all the while learning the ins and outs of hardware: nuts, bolts, grills, drills, and everything in between.

Matt and Erica now reside in Essex, where they enjoy every crazy minute of raising their three children: Kylie, Brayden and Hudson.  Matt is proud to have been a part of the acquisition of Brown & Roberts Ace in Brattleboro and, most recently, Woodstock Ace Home & Hardware in Woodstock.  He most enjoys learning the best ways to tackle his (ever ending) home improvement projects through the knowledgeable employees at Bibens and looks forward to helping the family business continue to grow in the years to come.

Ron Graham grew up in the Montreal area.  Throughout high school and college, Ron worked a variety of jobs including farm hand, store clerk, security guard, and several positions in financial services.  These diverse experiences led to an overall interest in people and business.

Ron moved to Burlington after receiving his CPA designation and started his accounting career with Gallagher Flynn & Co.  From there, he worked for another Vermont staple business – Blodgett Oven Company.  Through a mutual friend, he met his future wife Karen, a Springfield, VT native, later moving to Plattsburgh, NY to work for Monaghan Medical Corporation as Operations Manager.

Ron joined the Bibens Ace team in June of 2023 as Financial Controller, and continues to reside in Plattsburgh with his wife Karen and their son, where they enjoy visiting with friends and family, camping, fishing, and skiing.

Brian Baird joined Bibens Ace in August of 2000 as manager of the Colchester location, the first branching out location in the Bibens Ace family of stores.  In the following years, he was involved with the addition of South Burlington, Burlington, and the Essex locations.  In 2010 he was promoted to General Manager of the northern locations.  Brian resides in Colchester, VT with his wife and two sons.  When not working, Brian enjoys spending time with family, playing ice hockey, and enjoying the outdoors.

Greg Bibens is a born and raised Vermonter.  Having grown up in the family business, he spent much of his youth working in the lumber yard, at the cash register, or stocking the aisles at the Springfield location.  Upon graduating from high school, Greg pursued his passion of the theatre, attending the musical theatre program at the University of Michigan.  In 2003, he moved to NYC, leading the life of a struggling actor, which often led to waiting tables or bartending to survive in the Big Apple.  In doing so, he developed another passion, the hospitality industry, and decided to return to school to train as a chef at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY.  After graduating he moved his way up in the business as a manager, general manager, and director of outlets at restaurants and hotels throughout Boston, NYC, and Chicago, leading successful teams through creative marketing, community outreach, and the development of various training programs.

Greg moved back to Vermont in 2017 to be closer to family.  He rejoined the family business in the summer of 2018 as Training & Marketing Coordinator for the company, and was promoted to General Manager of three of the northern stores in 2020, continuing his passion for hospitality, creative marketing, and training development as another family face at the helpful place.

Peter Torney was raised in Springfield, VT and started working for Bibens Home Center part time while in high school. He has been a part of Bibens Ace for over 37 years and a manager for 30 of those.  He is married with 2 children and 2 grandchildren.  In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with family, friends, and with projects around the house.

John moved to Springfield, VT in the Summer of 2018 after living in the Boston area. After working in pharmacy retail management for 35 years, he joined the Bibens Ace Springfield team in the fall of 2018 as a sales associate/customer service specialist, learning the hardware business through on the job training style, from from mixing paint, to plumbing and electrical, to driving a forklift. In January of 2023 he was promoted to store Manager.

John grew up in the Burlington/Essex area, and after getting engaged in early 2018, moved from the Boston area back to Vermont, with the goal of living halfway between his children in lower New England and their family in upstate Vermont.  In John’s free time, he enjoys spending time outdoors, doing work on their new home, and day tripping with their two dogs, along with becoming an active part in the Springfield Community.

Peter Casselman grew up in Massachusetts, spending much of his childhood mucking about in boats on Buzzards Bay.  Fascinated by anything mechanical, he rebuilt his first outboard motor at the age of twelve to power the nutshell pram he had built with his brother and father.  Throughout high school and college, he repaired automobiles at a small shop specializing in European sports cars, where he honed his problem-solving abilities.  In 2006, Peter moved to Vermont and joined the Bibens Ace team as a sales associate at the Colchester location, where he found his niche in the marine department.  From 2011 to 2015, he managed the Burlington location before returning to Colchester.  Peter is a true believer in the value of the neighborhood hardware store, and strives to ensure that Bibens always is The Helpful Place.  He resides in Georgia, Vermont with his wife and their animals.

Roland Ostrout is a native Vermonter and grew up enjoying the outdoors being physically active as well as civic minded. While in school he worked various jobs from landscaping to janitorial to construction to automotive to retailing.  Roland later attended the University of Vermont and shortly after started a family in central Vermont.  He started his career in retailing with Ames Department stores in 1987 and joined Bibens Ace in 2002, while also a law enforcement officer in the town he resided for several years.

Bibens Ace South Burlington has seen many transitions in its format, and Roland has been part of that process since the beginning.  The store was the 3rd in opening for the Bibens family and the niche it has provided for the South Burlington community, both residentially and commercially, has been astoundingly positive.  Roland and the majority of the staff have been there for many years and can provide the necessary advice and assistance you’ll need to complete the task properly.

James Deberville is a family man who resides in Washington, VT.  James married his high school sweetheart Annette and together raised three kids and now spoil five grandchildren.  He has a passion for horseback riding and is currently President of the Dog River Horse club. His pastime consists of equestrian riding, swimming and skiing.

Right out of high school, he began his retail journey.  He started by stacking lumber, selling doors and windows, and eventually designing full kitchens.  This experience allowed him to grow and take on more responsibilities over time, where he now manages a well-established and growing hardware business.

He has been a part of Bibens Ace since the grand opening of the Essex store in 2008 where he fostered teamwork amongst the Essex staff to ensure that their customer service, product selection, and atmosphere meets the needs of all of their customers.  So stop in have some popcorn and let us help you with your projects.  With either in store stock or special orders, Ace is the place.

Jordan Clapperton was born and raised in Springfield, VT, where he spent most of time with family, friends, and playing sports.  During his years in high school he developed a passion for community development, business and physical fitness.  He pursued these interests in college, achieving a bachelor’s degree in Business & Sports Administration.  Throughout his young adult life, Jordan has worked in various jobs, both in manual labor and customer service, finding where his skills and interest would suit him best.  After many years as a customer of Bibens Ace Hardware doing various projects with his father, Jordan decided when he moved to the Burlington area that the combination of management, local business, and customer service that Ace Hardware provided was the perfect fit. Jordan’s main goal is to provide  each and every customer with a helpful and enjoyable shopping experience every time they are at Bibens Ace Hardware.

Ed Morse was born and raised in Brattleboro, VT, where his family can be traced back five generations.  In 1986, while in the Career Center Building Trades program, he was hired by Brown & Roberts to repair windows and screens, later developing into a variety of repairs, including building maintenance.  Five years later, he was promoted to hardware department manager, and six years after that, he was assigned to manage the paint department.  In 2013, Ed was promoted to Assistant Manager when the store was purchased by Bibens Ace, and in February of 2018 he was promoted to Store Manager, now overseeing the entire operation.

Lee Ann Lyman was born and raised in North Conway, NH.  During her youth, she would usually be found riding and caring for horses. She later attended the University of New Hampshire, where she continued to train and compete her own dressage horse, later deciding to leave school to pursue her equestrian dreams.

For several years, Lee Ann would follow the horse show circuit, traveling to Florida for the winters and back to Woodstock, VT for the summers, where her trainer was based.  After winning many national titles and championships, Lee Ann became a member of the United States Equestrian Team’s developing rider list.

In 2002, Lee Ann began working part-time at Woodstock Home & Hardware, soon finding herself in a full-time position in the busy paint department, where she enjoyed helping customers with their paint questions and color needs. In addition to managing the paint department she has continued to take on administrative and managerial responsibilities, and was promoted to Store Manager in 2020.  She looks forward to working with the Bibens family while continuing to work alongside her staff.  When not working, Lee Ann enjoys training and competing her 2 Labrador Retrievers in agility trials around New England, spending time with her family, gardening, and being outdoors.