Founded in 1946, Williams Lumber has nine locations. Their flagship store in Rhinebeck is the region's biggest independent Ace Hardware dealer. But it's the friendliness and warmth that keeps them winning Best of the Hudson Valley awards.
"Just last Friday, a friend I grew up with and hadn't seen in years came in with his little boy, who's not quite three, and we got such a huge kick out of him running around looking at the trains, Santa, the decorated trees. He had such a blast. So did we," says hardware buyer Andy Jozefowicz, who's been on the Williams Lumber team since the 1990s. "We do lots of cool giftware, trees—real trees for $29.99—and lights and ornaments and decorations, but I think my favorite part is the Christmas display." Williamslumber.com