The arrival of tree planters in 亚洲天堂 Lake gives many local businesses a shot in the arm.

Perhaps the greatest economic effect is on the local grocery stores. Russell Perrault, store manager at the Wholesale Club, said that a couple of the cooks from bush camps place orders for their foodstuffs in advance.

The store receives those orders by phone or email, packages them and puts them aside for weekly pickups. 鈥淚t makes it easier for them, easier for us,鈥� he said, adding that items can be ordered specially, so 鈥渢hey get what they want.鈥�

Those transactions are worth roughly $2-3 thousand each, said Perrault.

Overall, purchases at the Wholesale Club appear to increase by about 3-5 percent when the tree planters are in town, said Perrault. 鈥淚t helps,鈥� he said.

Smaller businesses also gain from the presence of tree planters.

Asked about the impact on sales, Dollar Store assistant manager Emma Peters said: 鈥淚t goes up.鈥�

Tree planters鈥� purchases tend to include 鈥済loves, drinks, snacks, rope, other useful things,鈥� she said, adding that they arrive in 鈥渇locks,鈥� often congregating in the parking lot of the Wholesale Club.

Dispensers of such necessities as coffee, cigarettes and fast food also experience a boom during tree planting season.

鈥淭his morning was non-stop,鈥� said caf茅 owner Matthias Lexow. Just then, a group of tree planters walked in to check out the pastries, as he prepared shots of espresso for customers. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 even have my own coffee yet.鈥�

Lexow also noted that tree planters tend to arrive in groups. Along with locals and tourists, this results in rushes of activity. 鈥淚t creates very busy times,鈥� he said.

At the Town Pantry, manager Pankul Katoch said the extra business is noticeable, and that tree planters tend to stock up on cigarettes and chewing tobacco.

It鈥檚 hard to know how much they add to the bottom-line of the business, 鈥渂ut it does make a difference,鈥� he said.

Many people working in local retail outlets said they enjoy the presence of the itinerant workers, noting that it offers a chance to learn about people from different parts of the country.

鈥淚 love tree planters,鈥� said Linda Saugstad, who manages the local A&W. She was planting petunias outside the franchise when she paused to praise the roving workforce.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e polite and they鈥檙e patient and they鈥檙e hardworking and they frequent our restaurant,鈥� she said.

鈥淚 think they鈥檙e this wonderful boost to our economy,鈥� she said. As for their effect on business at the A&W, she said they boost sales 鈥渟ignificantly,鈥� though she wouldn鈥檛 disclose by how much.

Saugstad formerly owned a motel frequented by tree planters, including two young men who told her they had each planted one million trees in the 亚洲天堂 Lake area, she recalled.

鈥淭he last I heard one had graduated from law school and the other had completed his medical training,鈥� said Saugstad. 鈥淭hey paid for it all tree planting.鈥�

She added that she enjoyed the spirit and individuality of tree planters. 鈥淚 look forward to their presence every year,鈥� she said.