After 37 years, Friedman’s Home Improvement returns to Petaluma – stronger than ever.
BY: ALYSSA SAMSON
In 1976, Friedman’s Home Improvement hung a sign in the window of their Petaluma, Calif. location, explaining to its customers that the company had moved to Santa Rosa and would return.
After 37 years, and the addition of two more locations in Sonoma and Ukiah, the Do it Best member is staying true to its promise.
“It’s been in our hearts forever to return to Petaluma,” says Bill Friedman, chairman of the board.
Friedman’s debuted its fourth location in Petaluma this past May; the ultimate homecoming signifying the company’s return to its roots. With a new, innovative store and skilled employees, Bill says, “Friedman’s is a good, honest company that projects the respect that it has for its customers, team and vendors— that’s what we have that no one else can touch.” And that’s why the company is encouraged about its return to Petaluma.
From the Ground Up
Brothers Benny and Joseph Friedman returned from World War II with nothing but their military pay and a dream to start a business. In 1946, the brothers purchased a junkyard beside the Petaluma River for $4,000, and began the first Friedman Bros. Hardware. Determined as they were, the economic limitations brought on by the war forced the company to sell secondhand items. Yet, as the years continued and the business blossomed, the used, salvaged materials initially offered were replaced with new, expanded product lines.
Prosperity was evident when a second location in Santa Rosa was opened in 1971. Just five years later, due to concerns about the Petaluma store’s dilapidated structures, the owners made the decision to consolidate the Petaluma store to Santa Rosa, promising a return.
