Setting up shop - Rick's Appliance

After five years on Second Ave NW in Waseca, Rick’s Appliance has just opened at a new location.

Of the new building at 405 Elm Avenue West, owner Rick Maas says “It’s been a good move; We’re really excited to be here.” The new facility, he mentions, has much more space than the old one, and will allow for appealing displays and a wider variety of in-stock appliances.

There has been one rather humorous development: since it is the former location of “Sailor’s Sweet Shoppe,” the building still has an association for some of its past clientele.  

“We got asked about them a lot,” owner Rick Maas said. “But we don’t sell ice cream; we sell appliances.”

When it became known a few months ago  that the property on Elm Avenue was for sale, Maas investigated almost right away. “There it was. We figured let’s try to buy it and see what happens.”

Once the purchase was complete, Maas gradually began moving his inventory, finishing that work this past weekend. 

Further upgrades and renovation are already in the works. “it’s going to take a while to have everything the way it needs to be,” he observes. For one thing, the new place is much larger than the old location, meaning more inventory to bring in.

“We moved all of our inventory from the old location into this space,” Maas said. “You can see we still have a lot to do. There’s cabinetry we have to get in, and we’re putting in kitchens and actual vignettes so that people can see different color appliances against different woodworkings and countertops.”

Some of those materials won’t come in for at least another month, though.

But once they get things “nailed down,” Rick’s Appliance is planning a re-grand opening at some point in the next few months. Maas was unsure of a tentative date. “But when we do hold it, maybe we’ll serve some ice cream,” he joked.

Maas and company want to thank Waseca for all their support over the years. “It’s because of them we were able to expand and make this move.”