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New project profiles: Friedman’s Home Improvement store

 (Editor’s note: The Business Journal features projects that are complete or nearly so.

Send details to jquackenbush@busjrnl.com

or by fax to 707-521-5292.)



The home-improvement store opened three decades ago as Farrow’s and later was acquired by Yaeger & Kirk. In the 1990s Friedman Bros. purchased the store. In 2004, the Friedmans started planning on an expanded Sonoma store but diverted their focus toward the Ukiah store in 2005, according to Tony Corsberg, vice president of merchandise and marketing.

The following year, planning on the Sonoma store started again, and construction started in July of last year. The new store has more than double the parking with new and expanded departments in kitchen and bath, home accents, flooring, lighting and storage.

Another new feature, now employed at the other stores in Santa Rosa and Ukiah, is a drive-in Express Yard, at which customers can fill their vehicles as they would a shopping cart then drive to the checkout area.

The Sonoma store doesn’t have the bright greens seen at the Santa Rosa and Ukiah stores. The city of Sonoma asked for more “Sonoma-esque” colors.

“So we had to use softer colors called jalapeno green and roasted sesame seed to blend more into the fabric of Sonoma Valley but have a more retail look,” Mr. Corsberg said.