The rumors of the demise of the Northfield Ace Hardware Store seem to have been greatly exaggerated.
Last week Arrow Ace Hardware announced that it will be closing its Northfield location at the end of December, as a part of the company’s downsizing initiative.
However, the store, along with the Arrow Ace Hardware in Owatonna, has been acquired by Joe Donahue, the owner of Faribault Ace Hardware, and it will reopen later in the winter. According to Matt Newberg, a Northfield Arrow Ace Assistant Manager, the Northfield Store will close on December 30th, and then will reopen on March 1st. In the meantime, Newberg said the store would be “reset.”
Northfield Arrow Ace has eight employees. Newberg indicated that all had been offered opportunities under the new ownership group, and five of them have accepted that offer. The employees will either be laid off for two months or will work in the revamping of the store.
Arrow Ace Hardware has been located in the River Park Mall on the Northwest Corner of Water & 7th Streets for more than 20 years. The current owner, Dave Neiman, established the Arrow Ace company when he purchased Don’s Ace Hardware from his father in St. Peter in 1985, according to the company’s website. At its height, 10-15 years ago, the company had more than ten stores in Southern Minnesota with locations in Mankato, Rochester and elsewhere. With the closing of the four stores, the remaining locations are in Shakopee, St. Cloud and St. Peter. According to the Rochester Post Bulletin, Neiman said his decision to downsize the stores comes as he eases into retirement in Florida.
Newberg said it is easy to understand the confusion about the status of the hardware store, as they are currently conducting a going-out-of-business sale. However, he assured the public that the store will only be dormant for a few weeks.
Underdahl hopeful that review will not reveal more needed changes
Northfield Hospital + Clinics has had a turbulent year. In August, the organization announced it would be shutting down its nursing home facility. The organization closed its Lonsdale Clinic in September. In October, hospice service was discontinued in order to expand the In-Home Care program.
In the fall, NH+C issued a statement that said the decisions were part of a comprehensive review of services to “ensure the organization can serve the community for generations to come.” NH+C President and CEO Steve Underdahl said, hard decisions have had to be made in order to keep the fundamental services a healthcare system must offer.
“When organizations are making a financial margin, there are things that you can do that that don’t pay for themselves, that you can do just because you can afford to do them, and they offer value to the people that you’re trying to serve. There also comes to be a point where you just can’t afford to do certain things if you’re going to keep your primary mission in place.”
Healthcare is in crisis across the country. In the first three quarters of 2023, 161 nursing homes closed including NH+C’s. Long-term care seemed to bear the brunt of the problems, as example after example showed those facilities could not find enough staff to run at a capacity that was cost-effective.
The fundamental problem, Underdahl said, is that the economic model upon which the American healthcare system is based is no longer viable. Medicare and Medicaid reimbursements no longer cover the basic costs of care. Rather than allow the organization to collapse, Underdahl said, the decision was made to reshape it into something more streamlined that can sustain itself.
Ironically business is stronger than ever at NH+C. He said the number of patients seen and treated this fall was record-breaking. And that only serves to reinforce the idea that the organization has to evolve.
“We had the busiest October, as an example, that we’ve ever had. The highest volumes that the organization has ever had. The most gross revenue that we’ve ever had. And we lost about $400,000 because that formula is upside down. Now we can’t just wring our hands about that. We have to recraft the institution to be able to have its architecture reflect this change.”
The comprehensive review of services has concluded, and he said the Hospital Board and administrators will now evaluate the changes that have been made. He is hopeful more drastic measures will not have to be taken in 2024.
Fine Craft Collective open on Christmas Eve for last minute shoppers
Christmas is less than a week away. Downtown Northfield is, of course, lined with stores that could be the place to find the perfect one-of-a-kind gift, and that includes the Fine Craft Collective, which is a pop-up market established in the main gallery of the Northfield Arts Guild.
Heather Lawrenz, one of the organizers of the FCC, said they are now in their 20th year. It was originally the idea of jewelry artist Leanne Stremcha who saw the need for a space where artists could come together to show their wares. While the market has been in several different locations over the years, often renting an empty storefront on Division Street, the Arts Guild location has now been the store’s home for seven years.
Lawrenz said artists of many different styles and disciplines are participating this year. Shoppers will find jewelry, paintings, pottery, ceramics, woodwork, glass work and much more. She said the market also offers handmade honey, soap, candles and lotion.
As the endeavor is an artist collective, each artist takes several shifts minding the store. Speaking with Paula Granquist on KYMN’s Art Zany program last week, Lawrenz said the collective effort makes for an ideal opportunity for shoppers to talk with a participating artist each time they visit, and those artists have been educated about everything that is available.
“When we start each year, we have an artist party. Everybody takes the time to listen to the other artists share the important things that they’ve been working with this year, and they give us some talking points. Hearing from the artists about what’s new then, we are able to share that with folks each day that somebody comes in to visit us.”
The Fine Craft Collective is open today through Christmas Eve on Sunday in the main gallery of the Northfield Arts Guild. The hours are 11-5 today through Saturday and 11-3 on Sunday. For more information, visit finecraftcollective.com.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
