Browne’s Home Center Celebrates Grand Reopening of Remodeled Store

Browne’s Home Center, a TAL Building Center, celebrated its grand reopening with a VIP Night and ribbon cutting ceremony on Friday, September 15. On Saturday, the festivities continued with a community-friendly event. Over 500 customers and neighbors enjoyed a free BBQ lunch, in-store promotions, product demonstrations, kids’ activities and raffle prizes.

TAL Building Centers renovated the existing facilities, which included combining several buildings into one cohesive space, resulting in a substantial expansion of the home center. The updated retail area increased from 14,000 square feet to 28,450 square feet.

Within this newly revamped space, customers can expect a host of modern amenities, including a dedicated design center, a full-service paint center, a specialized contractor sales desk with a unique art installation, and for the retail customer, an efficient line queue for checkout.  

With the larger footprint, the core categories of paint, electrical, plumbing, hand and power tools, and lawn and garden were bolstered with enhanced offerings. In addition, Browne’s introduced significantly larger offerings of home goods, clothing, pet supplies, RV and marine. The location also boasts a 27,000-square-foot all-organic garden center.

Jason Blair, TAL Building Centers CEO, emphasized the importance of the remodel: “This is more than just a renovation for Browne’s Home Center; it’s a demonstration of our investment in the community. By expanding our offerings and enhancing our service areas, we’re enriching the customer experience and reinforcing our commitment to the people of Friday Harbor and the San Juan Islands.”

For the Browne’s remodel, TAL partnered with award-winning Graham Baba Architects and local contractors to ensure the project’s success. This marks TAL’s fourth collaboration with Graham Baba Architects with the Tum-A-Lum Lumber location in Pendleton, Ore., recently winning a Beacon Award for Best New Store from The Hardware Connection.

“We want to be recognized in our communities as a place for ideas,” shared TAL Marketing Director Katherine Cornelius. “Throughout our remodeling projects, we emphasize the integration of organic, textural elements that create an element of surprise for our customers. For example, we introduced colorful, living moss walls at various points in the store and crafted a distinctive art installation featuring a variety of tools at the contractor sales desk. Additionally, we relocated the store’s exterior from the side to the front, adorning it with prominent wooden slats and the dynamic Browne’s logo that evolves in perspective as you pass by.”

Through its expansion and increased merchandising, the remodel will bolster Browne’s Home Center’s capacity to cater to the needs of the Friday Harbor, Wash., community, and the San Juan Islands.

Based in Vancouver, Wash., TAL Building Centers is a family-owned company helping to build better communities. At its 32 building material centers located throughout the Pacific Northwest, TAL creates a positive experience for its customers—pros and homeowners alike— by providing guidance for innovative, smart building solutions.

TAL’s family of brands include Badger Building Center, Bayview Building Supply of Elma, Best Built Builders Supply, Browne’s Home Center, Gerretsen Building Supply, Harbor Rental and Saw Shop, Lake Chelan Building Supply, Marson and Marson Lumber, Midway Building upply, Miller’s Home Center, Mount Vernon Building Center and Tum-A-Lum Lumber.