Thursday, May 15, 2008

Wonnell feeling lucky at The Home Center

by Kenneth Lassiter

In the late 1970s, McLouth native Jim Wonnell stopped in to the furniture store at the corner of Jefferson and Liberty streets in Oskaloosa to ask for directions. Thirty years later, he’s celebrating his 30th anniversary as owner of The Home Center furniture and appliance store at the location.

Wonnell, 61, recently celebrated the event by offering a big sale at the store. His wife, Linda, and his dad, Earl, both mainstays at the business, were on hand as was store manager Angie Griffin, who runs the place when Jim is elsewhere. The group, which also includes delivery driver Noah Anderson, forms the nucleus of The Home Center today.

Back when Wonnell got involved, he was simply an appliance repairman who had been working for Montgomery Ward and Sears for 10 years. He stopped in at Lyons Furniture, as it was called then, one day to ask for directions to a home in town and, 60 days later, had purchased the business from Loren Lyons and his wife, who were moving to Arizona. Wonnell started out in partnership with Bill and Betty Bunce of Tonganoxie, who were silent partners until Wonnell bought them out.

Today, the store is still going strong selling sofas and easy chairs and appliances. Wonnell has two grown children now plus a grown stepson and 4 grandchildren. He and Linda live on a farm south of Oskaloosa that Wonnell has owned for 19 years.

“I’ve been lucky,” Wonnell said of staying in business so long. “I’ve got a really good group of customers. They know I always sell quality stuff and take care of it no matter how old it is. I’ve tried to stay competitive in my prices, too.”

Wonnell said, looking back, it somewhat amazes him how quickly he jumped into the business, but at the time he was confident he could handle it.

“I’d always wanted my own business,” Wonnell said. “I had a wife and small kids and, although I probably wouldn’t (make the move) now, I had the confidence that, if it didn’t work out, I could go back to my old job. But it started out good and stayed good. Now my personal expenses aren’t near as much as they were then.”

Earl Wonnell, who turns 86 this fall, has been working at the store for 28 years after retiring from what had been his career. Wonnell said with a laugh that his dad hopes he can retire after 30 years in his second job working with Jim. Over the last couple years, Griffin has earned her way to the point Wonnell considers her a solid second-in-command to watch over the store in his absence with no problems.

Jim said, at this point, he’s taken the “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” approach to the store. He’s happy to keep it running from day to day. Over the years, he said he’s relied more on the loyalty of his customers. With his children grown and starting families of their own, he said the pressure to make that extra dollar isn’t there as much, either, which has been a nice change. He said his biggest challenge is the thought of charging for delivery of furniture, which he hasn’t had to do yet but, with rising gas prices, has become something to consider.

“We aren’t marking the prices up for delivery costs,” Wonnell said. “It’s been kinda scary with all the businesses starting to close (in the area). It means less people coming to town. The bigger (appliance and furniture) brands also cater to the big companies, but I’ve got enough volume that I can stay competitive.”

Another notable change Wonnell has made at the store is lesser staff as, when once he had two delivery drivers and more in-house staff, now he just has his smaller crew.

“I don’t push it hard anymore,” said Wonnell of the business. He rented the space for many years before buying the building in the mid 1990s. “I could be pushing it harder, but that’s just too hard for me now. I’m content to farm my 160 acres and spend time with the grandkids. The biggest joy of my life is those four grandkids.”

Wonnell praised the loyalty of his customers as he said he’s now in second and third generations of families who still drive in from out of town to get items at The Home Center. He said at times he feels like 30 years has gone by quickly, while at others it feels like every bit of 30 years in business.

“I’ve always felt like, if I made a dollar, at least here I made it for me and not for somebody else,” Wonnell said. “I also try to buy supplies and other stuff in town first before I go elsewhere, because you’ve gotta support your local businesses or you won’t have any.

“It’s nice when I have people come in from Eudora or somewhere and I ask them how they knew about the business and they say, ‘Well, my mom and dad always got stuff here and were happy so we figured we’d come here, too.’ It makes me feel good when people say that. Oskaloosa has been a great place to have a business.”