Mention Stewart’s TV & Appliance and old-fashioned dedication to customer service and quality come to mind. Although Elyria has changed throughout the years, Stewart’s Appliance has become an iconic landmark, occupying the same Cleveland Street location where Dick Stewart officially launched his enterprise in 1950.
“My dad [Dick] really started the business in 1946, when he began repairing radios in my grandparents’ basement that people would bring over,” says company president Ed Stewart. “Four years later, he decided to open a store.”
In addition to television sets, Stewart’s has added kitchen appliances, washers and dryers, freezers and outdoor grills to the store’s inventory.
“My dad taught me that it’s easier to get people to come to you than you having to go to them by opening other locations,” he says. “So we’ve made Stewart’s a destination that draws customers from all over Lorain County, as well as western Cuyahoga, Medina, Huron and Erie counties.
But, Stewart adds, it’s not just the vast array of appliances the store showcases that draws clientele.
“Our calling card on the appliance side is our service department,” he says. “Customers can count on us to be there when they need us.”
As a local business owner, Stewart is grateful for the support he receives from the business community and the relationships he’s formed through North Coast Chamber of Commerce events.
“There are many new people moving into the area who are familiar with the big-box stores because they’re everywhere, but not familiar with many of the small businesses who call this area home,” Stewart says. “Independent business owners like me have to shout as loud as we can to let them know we’re here. The chamber helps us get the word out.”
Stewart’s TV & Appliance
468 Cleveland St., Elyria
440-365-7321
stewartappliance.com
