OCONOMOWOC — While household appliances may have changed significantly in the past 75 years since the Radtke family began selling them, what hasn’t changed is their commitment to their customers and the Oconomowoc-area community.
First opened in 1949 as Radtke Electric by Ray Radtke, the business focused primarily on electrical work for the many new homes being built in Oconomowoc. It also had a small appliance store that was open after hours and by appointment. In 1952, Paul Radtke joined the business after serving in the Korean War. He was an electrician and a service man.
It wasn’t until 1964 that Radtke had its first dedicated store, at 121 S. Silver Lake St., across from Wingers. Operating inside Radtke Appliance was Spritka TV and Roger Werth was the business’s only salesman, while Don Schmitt was the service man at that time. Ray did deliveries and electrical with Paul as his helper. Ray’s wife, Doris, helped with all aspects of the business.
About two years later, Radtke Appliance was ready for expansion and moved to 920 E. Wisconsin Ave., across from Fiberesin Industries and to the east of Lorleberg True Value. The state then wanted to acquire the land for an off-ramp. That’s when the Radtkes found their current location at 682 E. Wisconsin Ave. At the time, it was an A&P grocery store. When it closed, Radtke Appliance moved in and now had about 12,000 square feet. In 1979, John Gesvain came in after school to work in electric, deliveries and eventually was morphed into service. He would become well-known around the community with many customers requesting “Big Red.”
Vic’s Carpets was located along the west wall and Anderson TV also had a space in the building.
Dave Radtke has worked at Radtke Appliance his whole life, starting with hours after school. When Ray Radtke was ready to retire, Dave focused on appliances, and his brother, John, took over the electrical side of things. While Dave said he has retired, he still comes into the office almost daily. Now, his stepchildren and their families are also involved in the business.
During his time at Radtke Appliance, Dave Radtke said customers are more informed about their purchases than they used to be thanks to the internet. But, what they can learn from Radtke salespeople is what holds up and what doesn’t, especially since the store still offers service of the appliances.
“It’s a changing business. The clientele is changing too,” he said.
Also, appliances aren’t built like they used to, with them being made frequently out of plastic versus metal. With people not wanting to spend much money on appliances, manufacturers have resorted to cheaper materials to keep the prices down, Radtke said.
However, Radtke has a large assortment of parts and can help customers with their many makes and models of everything from refrigerators to stoves.
What you can also expect when purchasing an appliance from Radtke Appliance is professional delivery and installation. The service people will make sure everything is hooked up properly and will come out to fix something when it’s not running optimally.
Another way Radtke Appliance is able to offer their products at a competitive price is that it is part of a larger organization that does the buying on behalf of smaller appliance stores.
“They might be cheaper, but Radtke will deliver and set up, as well as take the old one away for a minimal cost,” Dave Radtke said. “Others will charge lots of add-ons.”
Barb Brockway, Dave’s sister, has also been a big part of the business for many years. She would teach classes on how to cook in a microwave when they first became available for sale. She recalls a humorous moment in an Oconomowoc High School home economics class when one boy kept looking grouchier as she explained how to make a sauce in the microwave. Afterward, he grumbled about why the home economics teacher had taught them the much-harder stovetop way first.
As Dave Radtke reflects upon his business’s 75 years of operation, he said he is happy to see the next generation taking over. He said his dad would be proud, as well.
“I think he would be very pleased. He was a very good, hard worker. He was very giving and liked to help people out, that’s really what it was,” Dave Radtke said.
As he looks to the future, Dave Radtke also knows the business will need to change and adapt. He’s already seen so “much change in the area. I have seen Oconomowoc grow.”
He wants to encourage the growing community to support businesses like his own, which does a lot to support the local community through donations and sponsorships. In addition to selling new appliances, Radtke also sells used appliances it has refurbished. The business also sells luxury line appliances.
Dave Radtke’s stepson Ryan Terrill said he hopes to have Radtke Appliance continue to “grow with Oconomowoc” and plans to solidify the role the store plays within the community.