“There’s a lot of history within this business and much stuff to work through.” – Owner Mills Rogers
In early 2024, Appliance Mart (AM) at 749 S Jefferson Avenue in Cookeville went up for sale following its closure after the death of owner Keith Alred and retirement of his wife, Lucille. AM had been in business for more than half a century. It wasn’t long before new ownership plunged into what would be a rebuild and reboot of a classic.
That’s never easy, but new owner Mills Rogers told the UCBJ he and his team are up for the challenge.
“We took over possession mid-October,” said Rogers. “I became interested in Appliance Mart when it went for sale early in 2024 then decided against it. When it came up for auction, I got excited about it again and ended up winning it.
What is it like taking over something with such history?
“It has been an eventful and wild few months,” according to Rogers. “There’s a lot of history within this business and much stuff to work through. Trying to figure out what we have, what we need to keep, or what we need to get rid of has been a focus. It’s been fun to hear from long-time customers and to have them back in the store. I want to keep the foundation of Appliance Mart that the Alreds built and give our customers a similar experience they know and love.”
The Alreds focused on customer service and did it well, but Rogers says changes are in the works. It’s time for an upgrade, including a move to 10th Street in Cookeville, a new website, and a social media presence.
“The biggest plan is to move our location to 10th street, along with a brand-new website where one can see and buy products directly. Moving will allow us to clean up and create our own identity for Appliance Mart. We are planning to have an updated showroom highlighting our brands/products, along with a place for warehousing, scratch/dent, or discounted items,” he said.
With the changes inevitably comes growth, and with the growth comes employment opportunities. A lot of employment opportunities.
“Honestly, I see our staff doubling, if not more, in size, and having dedicated team members for warehousing, parts, repairs, projects, design, etc…. I want to be the “go to” option for builders but also serve the individuals that walk-in the door needing a washing machine or a part to get it working again,” said Rogers. “We need a service/repair tech to service our products and customers. We have hired two delivery/installers, Eric Hunter and Russell Farley, who both worked for Keith for several years. We have also hired two sales staff, Dave Spear and Kristy McKenzie. All four have been fantastic and I am super grateful and excited to have them on the team.”
One focus of the new AM is a digital presence. In a digital world, having the ability to shop with our fingertips or with a single click is a must.
“Digital presence is going to be a huge focus for us,” said Rogers. “Information and the ability to shop is at our fingertips. For us to keep up, we will offer our customers the ability to shop without having to come into the store. We are putting a lot of work, time, and money into our new website that should be rolling out in a few weeks.”
Changes, both personally and professionally, made for a crazy end of 2024, according to Rogers.
“The end of 2024 was crazy and wonderful as we welcomed our fourth child into the world. My family and I are so grateful and excited to have this opportunity,” he said.
Rogers says the goal is to continue to grow, thrive, and adapt moving forward and is shooting for a March 1 reopening in the new space at 823 E 10th Street.
“I love our community and want to see Appliance Mart thrive and serve our community as it has for over 50 years,” said Rogers.
For more information, visit Facebook HERE and Instagram HERE or call 931-854-0343.
File photo.
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