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Hours: Open Daily 9:00 a.m.-7:00p.m. Mon. thru Thurs. and 9:00 a.m.-5:30p.m. Friday & Saturday, Closed Sunday.
Delivery: $79 fee includes normal hook up.
Installation: Provided by our own people and backed by our service technicians. Installation also available on Built-ins
Located in the heart of DuPage County and nestled between landmark buildings in historic downtown Glen Ellyn, Young’s Appliances has achieved what only a handful of other full service appliance stores have— over 75 years in business.
Despite the advent of big box retail outlets and discount merchandisers, Young’s Appliances continues to succeed.
Educated sales personnel, quality customer service before, during and after the sale, a full array of appliance brands to accommodate the short-order cook or gourmet chef, plus an affiliation with the national buying group (Brand Source), allows Young’s to remain competitive and offer the same or better value than many of our larger competitors. This also includes incentives such as price rebates, financing and extended warranties that are often only associated with the larger stores.
Recognition
Young’s has earned recognition from Checkbook magazine, The Better Business Bureau, The Business Ledger, and Brand Source.
Checkbook is an independent Chicago publication free of advertising and outside influence “dedicated to helping Chicago area consumers find high-quality, reasonably priced services we all deserve.” In the Summer/Fall 2005 issue, Checkbook editors reviewed major appliance repair. Of the 49 Chicago-area service providers evaluated, only nine earned superior ratings; one of those Young’s Appliances.
Young’s was further recognized by the Better Business Bureau in 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007 with a “Complaint Free Award.” This award is given exclusively to BBB members who exhibit superior performance and commitment to customer service.
The Business Ledger, a business newspaper for the west and northwest suburbs that provides essential, practical, and hands-on business news named Young’s Appliances as one of 25 companies to receive its 2006 Award for Business Excellence.
Young’s also received national recognition from its buying group, Brand Source, when it was named 2006 Retailer of the Year.
Larry was promoted to president of the company and he and his father ran Young’s until a third generation joined the family business in 1984 when Larry’s son-in-law, Doug Samuels, was hired to help the growing company. The three-generation operation was short-lived with Elmer’s death less than one year later.
Begun in 1931 as Young’s Home Utilities by Elmer Young Sr., the small retail shop at 494 Main St. sold everything from sheet music and phonographs, to radio tubes and wringer washers.
Young purchased the Glen Ellyn store, and also one in Elmhurst, from a customer he called upon while working as a sales representative for General Electric.
The career move was a tremendous risk at a time when America was still reeling from the depths of the Great Depression. But Young, a self-made businessman and high school drop out, had taken chances before and was confident in this new venture.
His gamble paid off and Young soon closed the Elmhurst store, consolidating everything in Glen Ellyn, and moved his wife and two young sons to the growing suburb.
Following World War II, Young and a friend, Glen Paulus, purchased surplus Naval refrigeration equipment and incorporated it into the remodel of a Studebaker showroom and garage. The new venture, Freeze-Rite Locker and Sales at 500 Crescent, Glen Ellyn, would soon take the business in another direction.
Refrigeration was in its infancy, as Young knew from his home utility business, and he and his partner banked on a new marketing concept of selling freezer space and frozen foods, including cut-to-order meats.
By 1948, Freeze-Rite was processing 3,000 pounds of meat daily and making deliveries within a 200-mile radius of Glen Ellyn.
One year later, Paulus’ health forced him to sell his interest and Young consolidated the Home Utilities store and Freeze-Rite to the Crescent location and became the sole owner.
With a new, larger showroom, Young was able to continually add new appliances in to the mix including vacuums, Hi-Fi stereos and console color television sets.
Second generation
The end of another war created an opportunity for Young to expand his operations by bringing his two sons, Larry and John into the family business.
Both sons had worked for their father growing up, but took on more active roles in the family business after serving in the Air Force in 1955 and 1957, respectively. Each quickly found their niche, and helped their father grow the family business into one of the most respected and trusted appliance operations in all of Chicago.
However, torrential rains in May of 1966 forced a premature end to the family’s freezer rental operation.
The intense storm flooded downtown Glen Ellyn, closed streets and swamped basements throughout the area. Most of Freeze-Rite’s refrigeration equipment was ruined. What wasn’t, Young gave to the B.R. Ryall YMCA and Wheaton College’s Honey Rock Camp.
A local grocer, McChesney & Miller, assumed Freeze-Rite’s butcher shop operation.
Third generation
With half of their business under water, Young and his sons set off on a new path once again hedging their business on the future—television.
The flooded freezer area was converted to a showroom for a growing market segment of color console televisions and state-of-the-art stereo turntables with speakers. The remaining space also got a facelift and became office and warehouse space, and the business was renamed Young’s Appliances.
Not long afterward, the youngest son, John, became restless like his father had been when he was young, and wanted to try his hand in another business. John left in 1974 to make his mark in the commercial real estate business.
Quality sales and service
The 1980s brought more change and increased competition from home and abroad.
Japan was cornering the market on electronics and American manufacturers were struggling to keep pace.
Retail sales also were seeing a shift in consumer buying with the emergence of large specialty discount stores. This combination signaled disaster, so once again, Young’s Appliances changed to keep pace with the times.
Electronics and televisions were dropped from Young’s line-up to let Larry and Doug concentrate floor space on what would become the company’s niche and expertise—quality appliances and service.
At the time, Young’s Appliances was among only a few appliance dealers who performed their own after-sales service. This was an important component of the business even while Elmer was at the helm.
Today, the business employs two experienced service technicians to ensure customer service doesn’t stop when the appliance is delivered.
Customer service through referrals
Since 1984, Larry and Doug have remodeled Young’s showroom twice to ensure product displays continue to represent current trends and styles, although the latest update came just months after Larry’s death in April 2005.
During the initial remodel in 1984, Larry and Doug discovered an added service they could provide customers—referrals.
Having to create more than 12 different kitchen vignettes to display products, Young’s basically went through what a homeowner does when their kitchen is remodeled—times 12.
The kitchen displays not only give Young’s customers a starting point, but also a connection to the many kitchen designers, cabinet builders, electricians, counter top fabricators, tile and flooring suppliers, plumbers and other quality vendors that Young’s has developed a relationship through the years.
This added service saves customers time and frustration trying to track down qualified and reliable service providers.
Giving Back
One thing a business such as Young’s learns early on is that its customer base in a large part comes directly from the community. Given that, Young’s has continually supported local charities, organizations and events as a way of giving back.
This has extended from its founder, Elmer Young, who was active throughout his entire life locally and nationally with Rotary, to Larry Young’s service as a Glen Ellyn Village Trustee, member of the Economic Development Commission (EDC) and board member for the B.R. Ryall YMCA, to Young’s current president, Doug Samuels, who is a three-term past president for the B.R. Ryall YMCA, as well as former EDC board member and Glen Ellyn Chamber of Commerce board member.
Through direct involvement on boards, charitable donations, or by providing services in kind, Young’s Appliances in its 75+ years of business has given and continues to give to the following organizations:
- B.R. Ryall YMCA
- Bridge Community
- Serenity House
- Rotary Club of Glen Ellyn
- Kiwanis Clubs Glen Ellyn and Wheaton
- Lions Club of Glen Ellyn
- Glen Ellyn Children’s Chorus
- Ronald McDonald Houses
- Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation
- School districts 41, 87, 89
- Glenbard South and West booster clubs
- American Legion
- Family Shelter
- Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts
- Jaycees
- Glen Elen Park Dist.
- Ed Posh Scholarship
