Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM SEPTEMBER 2017 38 RO K E I F F E R ' S A P P L I A N C E S , A F O U R T H - G E N E R A T I O N F A M I LY - O W N E D C O M P A N Y , C E L E B R A T E S I T S 1 0 0 T H Y E A R I N B U S I N E S S . S T A R T I N G W I T H H U M B L E R O O T S , T H E B U S I N E S S H A S N O W G R O W N T O B E O N E O F T H E L A R G E S T D E A L E R S I N T H E T R I - S T A T E A R E A W I T H A 2 0 , 0 0 0 + S Q U A R E F O O T S H O W R O O M . S H O W R O O M [ S P O T I G H T ] KEIFFER'S APPLIANCES: A FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS CELEBRATES 100 YEARS F ounded by entrepreneur John E. Keiffer, who originally sold tires and delivered blocks of ice. As a keen observer, he noticed the ice business declining and naturally progressed into the refrigerated ice craze of 1922. The Grono & Crosley refrigerator and the Royal electric vacuum cleaner were some of the first products to appear on the show room floor. These products, considered revolutionary at the time, were the predecessors of what was to become the Keiffer's concept; a focus on the customer's needs and product expertise. This approach, continued by fourth-generation owner Jace Keiffer, holds true today. AN INSIDE LOOK We asked Jace what it is like to work in a family-owned business. He replied, "Whenever I mention that I work with my father, I get one of two responses: 'Oh, that must be so cool to see your dad everyday' or more commonly for people that know him, 'I'm sorry to hear that!' In all seriousness though, it's a privilege to be able to work with my father. I learn something new every day about being a business owner, things I could never learn in a book or in business school. Although we are similar in many ways, we have different perspectives on how to run a business. Both of us are not afraid to voice those views, and, at times, everyone in the office gets to hear them; our weekly 'debates' are how we best discuss the next important step for Kieffer's. The fact that we are father/son allows us to have this dynamic. I can say things to my father that no other employee can say. He has always been progressive in business and, to his credit, he embraces my ideas and together we implement many of them quickly and efficiently. Some examples are: the website upgrades, CRM's, and showroom improvements that have propelled our business ahead of the competition. While I push him to evolve and adapt, my father schools me on Business 101. I think he really enjoys sharing his 30-plus years of experience as a business owner with his son. What he doesn't know is that I love it just as much, if not more, than he does. I take in every bit of knowledge he gives me. Being the fourth generation of a 100-year-old business is really special; it's what motivates me every day. I'm sure my dad felt the same way when he was working with his father. There are many days where I think to myself; "I can't wait until I can call all the shots". While it can be frustrating at times to work alongside each other, I often step back and remind myself to enjoy our time together. I have so much more to learn from him and there will be plenty of time once he's retired to shoulder the burden of running a company myself. Working with my father over the past 10-plus years has brought us closer together on many levels; he's a friend, an advisor, my business partner and most importantly, a great dad." ABOUT KEIFFER'S Keiffer's is an appliance dealer in Lansdale, PA. Founded in 1917 and still family-owned, it is our mission to bring professional service, support, and a broad product selection to an industry dominated by large, impersonal retail chains.

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