News
Johnson retires after 36 years
Scott Wagar
08/28/2012
After 36 years in the recreational business, Loren Johnson has made the decision to retire from the establishment he started in 1976 to focus more on his current business, D&L Storage.
“After 36 years in retail, I decided it was just time,” Johnson said. “And, our (Loren and his wife Dee) storage business has become way bigger than we imagined. In 1992, when we started we had 16 units, now we have over 400. We have added a lot of buildings over the years and it is a lot of work. So, I made the decision to get out of the recreational business and stay in the storage business.”
Johnson Sport Center actually started on Main Street in 1976, or, as Johnson would say, in the back alley off of Main Street.
“I started in the old Bee Line building in the back end of the alley. The Bee Line was selling motor skis and wanted to get out of that business. At the same time, I had a friend who was selling Yamahas out of his chicken coop and wanted to get out of it. So, I brought both businesses and started in the back of the Bee Line. Dee was a nurse and she quit nursing to help me out,” said Johnson, who added that his business started with some humble surroundings. “The back end of the building was no more than 20 by 40 feet and it had no insulation. The motor skis came in compressed plywood boxes, after Dee and I took the motor skis out of the boxes and we would take the plywood and place it on the walls and used that for insulation. We had no front room, just a few parts and room enough to work on the sleds. We didn’t have much, but we made it work.”
In December of 1977, Johnson purchased the building Johnson Sport Center is presently in.
“At that time, the building was Mac’s Body Shop and it was owned by Eddie Suchan. Eddie was selling the building and Mac didn’t want to buy it,” Johnson said. “So, I bought it. My brother-in-laws helped me remodel the building and the rest is history.”
Loren and Dee made their business very successful and in 2002 sold their business to David Vad.
“When I sold the business to Dave I told him we would stay for two years to assist him with the business. Well Dee stayed two years and I stayed 10 years and two and a half months because I enjoy being part of this type of business,” Johnson said. “Dave was a good right hand man before I sold it to him and over the years we have gotten along really well and we just stayed together in the business with him taking over, but the time has come for me to focus more on my other businesses.
Johnson stated that the recreational business has changed a lot in the past three decades.
“Everything has really changed, from snowmobiles, to motorcycles to four wheelers they have changed, especially snowmobiles more than anything. If you take an old sled, a new sled and put an average aged sled in the middle, there is nothing identical to any of the machines,” Johnson said. “Technology and all that stuff have changed the industry.
“And, although computers haven’t changed how recreational businesses do their jobs, computer diagnostic equipment has to be hooked up to find out what is wrong with a machine,” Johnson added. “Everybody in the old days could work on cars, but no one can work on the newer ones. You have to have the right tools and that takes diagnostic equipment. The rec business has gone that way, too.”
Although Johnson is ending his career in recreational vehicles, he said Dee and him are going to miss the customers the most.
“When we first started, we had mom and dad come in to buy stuff for their kids. Their kids come in and have bought stuff for their kids and now the third generation is coming in to buy stuff for their kids. The families have stuck with us all these years and that is what we are going to miss.”
As Johnson spent Friday morning working in one of his storage units, he looked back on the past 36 years with deep appreciation for one individual.
“I’ve couldn’t have done it without Dee helping me,” Johnson said. “Dee gave up a lot as a nurse to come help me. As a nurse, she always had her hands clean, but when she came to help run the business she had to get on the floor and lay on it and hold things for me while I put bolts and things together. It was dirty, but she hung in there for me. That means a lot to me. It has been a good run for us, but like I said, it is time.”