Bridle Trails Ace Hardware reopens with new owners, name

After five months of renovations, Joe and Tim Uhrich have opened Town Center Hardware, their second Ace Hardware store, for business in Kirkland.

October 1, 2016 4:30 am
Sales associate James Rowan moves some peat moss at Town Center Hardware in Kirkland. CATHERINE KRUMMEY / Kirkland Reporter
Sales associate James Rowan moves some peat moss at Town Center Hardware in Kirkland. CATHERINE KRUMMEY / Kirkland Reporter

After five months of renovations, Joe and Tim Uhrich have opened Town Center Hardware, their second Ace Hardware store, for business in Kirkland.

The business will be familiar to Kirkland residents, as it is in the same location as the former Bridle Trails Ace Hardware in the Bridle Trails Shopping Center.

“Hopefully we can benefit from returning customers and expand our customer base,” Tim said. “We want to be embedded in the neighborhood.”

Town Center Hardware had a soft open over the last week to train employees, and starting Saturday, the business opened for its regular hours, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday.

“It maps to a demographic we’re comfortable with,” Tim said of the Kirkland location. The Uhrichs also own Town Center Hardware in Lake Forest Park.

He added both cities have big acreage properties that lend themselves to an interest in creative gardening and landscaping, one of the many product areas in which the stores specialize. Given its close proximity to Bridle Trails State Park, the Kirkland location also has an extensive selection of equestrian products.

“We enjoy those niches,” Joe said of the horse supplies and other areas Town Center Hardware specializes in, such as housewares, pet supplies and birding supplies.

In addition to offering products from Ace’s suppliers, Town Center Hardware also gets its stock from more than 50 other vendors, making sure to carry items from local companies such as Seattle-based Big Dipper Wax Works and Bellingham-based Scratch and Peck Feeds.

“We like to use local vendors where it makes sense,” Tim said.

To accomodate all of the merchandise, the Kirkland store underwent extensive renovations to change its layout.

“The whole place is completely redone,” Tim said. “Everything is brand new.”

The Kirkland location will employ 20 people, and Tim said they’re still accepting applications. He also said a grand opening event will likely happen some time in early November.

For more information, go to towncenterhardware.com or stop by the store at 6613 132nd Ave. NE.