Profiles In Business Excellence: Rebennack's Appliance

Donna Talarico

     During the seven and a half decades that Rebennack's Appliance has operated, Americans' household equipment needs and desires have dramatically changed. Wringer washers, requiring no electricity, and coal stoves dominated the 1930s and beyond. Humidifiers and air conditioners simply didn't existent. Then there were the color changes- the yellows and greens of the '70s, the beige and white of the '80s and '90s, and the popular stainless steel of today.
     Perhaps the technologies and appearances from last century have changed, but the expertise, friendliness, and fairness of the staff at Rebennack's has not and will not change.
     Plains native Jim Broda took over the reigns nearly four years ago, having previously worked for five years at an appliance distributor that did business with Rebennack's. Jim not only knows his stuff, he takes pleasure communicating this knowledge to his customers.
     "It's fun. I enjoy it, dealing with someone new everyday," he said, adding that the store has gotten busier since it relocated in August.
     Rebennack's has an impressive display of appliances, more than 200 on the showroom floor. All the major brands can be found there: Maytag, Amana, Jenn Air, Whirlpool, Magic Chef, Kitchen Aid, Hot Point, Sharp, Frigidaire, Crosley, Avanti and Danby.
     Rebennack's stocks washers, dryers, stoves, refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, gas grills, air conditioners, and dehumidifiers. Popular these days are the front-loading washers. Jim assured me that the newest models are on the way.
     In addition to traditional homeowners and new construction projects, the store gets a lot of business from providing kitchen packages to assisted-living facilities and new condominiums, including the new structure on Rutter Avenue.
     "It's great. I can't complain," said Jim. "Every year it gets busier. We have a lot of word-of-mouth advertising and repeat business."
In fact, during my visit to Rebnnack's, a familiar customer came in and greeted Jim by name. He explained that she recently bought a host of appliances at the store and was coming back that day for a new dryer.
Rebennack's Appliance is open seven days a week, offers free local delivery and removal, and services 95% of what it sells.