communityspotlight
“Sustainability efforts are expensive, but they’re the right thing to do,” ~ Jeff Warner
Warners’ Stellian: Selling Appliances with a Sustainable Business Model
by Michelle Hamburger W
arners’ Stellian (WS) began in 1954 when Jim Warner was hired at Stellian Company, an appliance store in St. Paul. “My father
started as a salesman,” says Jeff Warner, current WS president and Jim Warner’s son. “He was offered the opportunity to buy the business and he accepted the offer.”
The Warners are proud of the multi-
generational business the elder Warner es- tablished. His efforts have had a profound effect on the entire family. All nine Warner children have been employees at one time or another and four of the siblings still run the company. Today, Jim Warner’s grandchildren also maintain positions in WS, carrying on their grandfather’s legacy.
Being a family-owned business has
played a powerful role in community relations and overall customer satisfac- tion. One of Warners’ Stellian’s promises is that customers will build a relationship with an individual, not with a corporation. WS staff members strive to offer a more personal shopping experience than at “big box” stores, and the result is an increas-
ingly loyal customer base. With more than 50 years of experi- ence as home and kitchen appliance spe- cialists, Warners’ Stellian’s small-business mentality has helped it remain strong and continue to grow. Today there are eight retail stores between the Twin Cities and Rochester. Jeff Warner says WS has worked hard
to change misconceptions about the com- pany. “The common perception is that we are high quality; that we are a good busi- ness, but that we are expensive,” he says. He adds that it’s true that his company has expensive brands available, but that they are only some of more than 50 appliance brands that will easily suit any budget. Over the last decade, WS has
incorporated a sustainability program to improve its carbon footprint. Any remod- eling includes energy-saving updates such as natural heat venting and low-flow plumbing fixtures. As a way to save fuel usage, delivery vehicles automatically power off after five minutes of idling and delivery routes are carefully planned to minimize transport costs. WS also claims to have the largest selection of Energy Star appliances in the state. In 2009, WS purchased a Styrofoam densification machine, which grinds down Styrofoam packaging and con- denses it into heavy logs. The logs are then loaded into trucks and shipped to be repurposed as new packaging. Jeff War- ner says seeing the amount of recycled
UNLEASH YOUR POTENTIAL Personal Growth Edition
14 NA Twin Cities Edition
natwincities.com
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