By Noah Nelson
Johnson Brothers Appliances Reflects on Historic Milestone
Alot has changed in Bend since 1950, back when our population was just above 11,000 people. An economy that was once driven by natural resources like timber turned into a center for hospitality, outdoor recreation, and tech. Bend was a small town that saw record setting population growth, and a housing market to match. While the economy brought ups and downs across the decades, what Bend never lost was a sense of community, and a gratefulness for one another and this beautiful place we call home.
For the last 75 years, Johnson Brothers Appliances has exemplified these values as well as any business can. Through all of the changes, all of the ups and downs, they have catered to the needs of the community, expanding when needed and providing neighborly service while doing so.
It started back when Joseph Vernon Johnson, grandpa to the current general manager Dave Johnson, moved away from his family’s homestead in the Midwest and came to Oregon. After graduating from Salem High School, Vernon came to Bend. It was 1948, and Vernon arrived with the intention of farming. After a couple years, Vernon’s entrepreneurial mentality took hold as he noticed signs of growth and saw the need for homes in the area. He started a construction company and soon after, followed more of that entrepreneurial spirit as he and his wife, Charcelene, started a home goods store in 1950, simply called The Home Center.
“They always identified the need in their community and did their best to fill it,” says Dave. “The Home Center sold paint, cabinet doors, flooring, appliances, the electronics they had in their day, whatever customers needed. They kept that going and in the ‘70s, grandma found a space downtown just north of the courthouse where they decided to construct a showroom.”
Then:
“They always identified the need in their community and did their best to fill it. The Home Center sold paint, cabinet doors, flooring, appliances, the electronics they had in their day, whatever customers needed. They kept that going and in the ‘70s, grandma found a space downtown just north of the courthouse where they decided to construct a showroom.”
–Dave Johnson, General Manager, Johnson Brothers Appliances
From there, the family business fared well with Vernon building homes and Charcelene running the showroom. Dave says that it was in the ‘80s when the local housing market hit a slump that the family’s focus switched solely to The Home Center, which was then rebranded as Johnson Brothers TV & Appliance.
A 2015 rebrand to Johnson Brothers Appliances along with the opening of their Azure Avenue showroom/warehouse in 2018 brought the company to where they stand today; as a time trusted, local resource for home appliances that treats every interaction with a personal touch.
There are a number of reasons why Johnson Brothers Appliances has made it to a milestone that many businesses never see, but a key reason rests within the multiple rebrands to the current company name.
Now:
“Yesterday it was TVs, today it’s outdoor kitchens. From doubling the size of our showroom multiple times to hiring more employees and expanding our fleet of delivery trucks, we have expanded to meet the needs of a growing city while maintaining the feel and personal touch of the small town store that started it all.”
–Dave Johnson, General Manager, Johnson Brothers Appliances
As Dave explains, the rebrand in the ‘80s was done to intentionally bring a focus to TVs and other tech like VHS players and camcorders that were blowing up in popularity. This represents a time when general knowledge surrounding this kind of home tech was less well known, as TVs weren’t available just anywhere and you couldn’t find more information from a nonexistent internet. The community had a need for a knowledgeable and trustworthy provider of tech like this, and the Johnson family fulfilled that need.
Then, in 2015, the rebrand to Johnson Brothers Appliances specifically removed any mention of TVs or other tech, because the community had moved past the need for that. With TVs readily available online and in stores like Walmart and Costco, the market no longer needed the same service or expertise, so the company took note and pivoted.
“Paying attention to the needs of the community and keeping our services and products relevant to those needs has been essential in our success,” says Dave.
It is the ability to both change and resist change that helps Johnson Brothers Appliances remain relevant to the community; the ability to shift with time and trends to meet the needs of Bend, and the ability to remain steadfast in their commitment to their core values of positivity, respect, integrity, diligence, and excellence.
“While the services and products change, our commitment to service does not,” Dave says. “Yesterday it was TVs, today it’s outdoor kitchens. From doubling the size of our showroom multiple times to hiring more employees and expanding our fleet of delivery trucks, we have expanded to meet the needs of a growing city while maintaining the feel and personal touch of the small town store that started it all.”
Today, Johnson Brothers Appliances is a truly local option that provides topnotch service, selection, and expertise on a large variety of popular modern brands. With a rapidly evolving market and products that keep advancing and changing even more quickly, it can take a lot of expertise and continued education to stay up to date with modern options. Dave says that the sales staff has a combined experience of 200 plus years in the industry, allowing customers to trust that they are being guided to the right decision for their specific circumstances.
“We all work together to meet the needs of the customer, and that starts with listening. Each customer has a unique set of circumstances, so it’s always important to ask the right questions and figure out their ideal solution. With the expertise of our sales staff, customers can take a list of 150 options and slim it down to two or three choices that would work for their circumstances, within their budget.”
–Dave Johnson, General Manager, Johnson Brothers Appliances
“We all work together to meet the needs of the customer, and that starts with listening,” says Dave. “Each customer has a unique set of circumstances, so it’s always important to ask the right questions and figure out their ideal solution. With the expertise of our sales staff, customers can take a list of 150 options and slim it down to two or three choices that would work for their circumstances, within their budget.”
Even if the solution to the customer’s problem is recommending general maintenance instead of a new appliance, the team at Johnson Brothers will prioritize the wellbeing of the customer over profit.
This prioritization of the customer’s wellbeing is the crux of the business. It is this philosophy that was founded by Vernon and Charcelene and still runs through the veins of the company, influencing every interaction and fueling two of the most important factors of the company’s success: trust and gratitude.
Trust is earned over time, and the company’s track record of honesty and integrity has earned them the right to be called a trusted local resource. It is then gratitude that follows; gratitude for a community that has put their trust in a family name, and gratitude for years of employees, family members or not, who have held company standards to the highest.
With eight kids in the new generation, it’s likely that the business will pass hands to the fourth generation of Johnsons. For the time being, Johnson Brothers Appliances will focus on maintaining natural growth, as the community needs it, and maintaining that small town charm. The team is grateful for the past 75 years, and looks forward to 75 more.
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