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New Ace In Naches

The April 1 opening of Oak Creek Ace Hardware comes as a relief to the residents of Naches, Wa., which has been without a hardware store since Naches Ace Hardware closed in the fall of2005.

"It's just great to be putting money back into our community instead of spending it somewhere else," said Randy Juette, president of the Naches Chamber of Commerce. "My wife and I are excited about going into that plant nurseryl that's something we never had before."

Other additions include fishing and hunting licenses, animal feed, and refilling propane tanks for people passing through Naches on their way to the mountains. "We have to service what people's needs are for the area. We can't just be a cookie-cutter store like a lot of chains-that's not going to work here," said owner Brad Christianson, who owns two other Ace stores in Yakima, Wa.

Because of local demand, there's even talk of adding an in-store pharmacy. "We've definitely got the room for it if anyone's interested," said Christianson. The new store has about 14,000 sq. ft. and sits on seven acres of land.

"I've really missed having a hardware store here, that's what we've really needed," said mayor Eric Wolfe. "Everybody's excited."

Yoga Pumps Up Workers

Central Valley Building Supply, Napa, Ca., has found a unique way to decrease on-the-job injuries: yoga classes for employees.

"There's a lot to be said about our yard guys that have been stretching out there, their backs and their necks, and I think those are your largest claims, your back problems," said vice president Peter Webber, who added that the weekly classes started three years ago.

The program is called Yoga for the Construction Industry. Class teacher is Allan Nett, a local contractor and yoga instructor. He believes that yoga is just what the industry needs. "Am I standing squarely while I'm drilling a hole, rather than drilling it over to the side?" he asks one class, as he mimics the motion of drilling. "Can I actually drill it straight ahead where I have the most energy and the most power?"

Lumber clerk Emilio Bogarin said that his friends made fun of him until he told them how much the yoga classes helped. "When you think about yoga, you don't think about guys doing it. You think about girls on mats and spandex and everything," he said.

"I was skeptical at first," confessed office manager Nicole Adams-Goree, who now looks forward to the weekly sessions. "Doing yoga opens up lots of areas that get stressed when you're in here. It makes your mind at ease."

Chain Goes With Greenest

Friedman's Home Improvement has launched a new Green It Yourself campaign at its stores in Santa Rosa, Sonoma. and Ukiah. Ca.

The program was created by Plan-It Hardware, which screened thousands of products to discover the greenest option in hardware categories such as paints, lawn-and-garden, housewares, cleaners, plumbing, and lighting.

"Our mission is to make it easy for consumers to find non-toxic, environmentally safe products for the home," said Jay Tompt, v.p. of green business development for Plan-It. "By putting greener products on the shelves, local hardware stores encourage consumers to reduce the environmental impact in their homes and neishborhoods."

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