Jon and Kathy Satkowiak of The Warehouse
Mio, Mich. shop evolved from RTO to appliances, furniture and more
YSN Staff
When Jon and Kathy Satkowiak opened their business, The Warehouse, in 1995 in Mio, Mich., it was a rent-to-own store in a 900-square-foot space.
Following a period as a mobile phone and satellite TV retail chain serving rural Northern Michigan, the Satkowiaks consolidated the business into their warehouse-turned-showroom and shifted their focus to furniture, mattresses, appliances and electronics.
Their efforts were recognized during the 2024 BrandSource Convention in Dallas, when the Satkowiaks and The Warehouse were named Dealer of the Year for the Michigan Region.
Group Gratitude
Besides loyally serving the rural community of Mio, Jon Satkowiak attributes The Warehouse’s success to its membership in BrandSource. The national, dealer-owned cooperative offers a wide range of retail support services including transactional websites, digital marketing, in-store displays, consumer and inventory financing, volume discount programs and invaluable peer-to-peer networking, which became crucial as the internet and national big-box chains altered the retail landscape.
“I truly believe that we would not be in this business today if not for BrandSource,” he said. “Everything from the credit card programs, website and SYNC point-of-sale system, to the bulk buys and marketing programs have been invaluable to a small business like ours.”
The BrandSource Dealer of the Year awards are presented annually to members like The Warehouse that have demonstrated a continued commitment to excellence in the retail industry and to their fellow BrandSource dealers. The winners, who are selected by the members within each of the group’s 14 regions, must also show their support of BrandSource and its vendor partners by attending regional meetings and national events such as the annual Convention and Summit.
YSN publisher AVB BrandSource is the nation’s largest merchandising and marketing co-op for independent appliance, mattress, furniture and CE dealers.
