JAMESTOWN — Lifestyle Appliance & Entertainment Center received two awards at the 16th annual Best of the Jamestown Area Awards. The company received first place in the Best Appliance Store category and second place in the Best Retail Store category.
Owners Toni and Colin Wegenast said they were honored that voters liked them.
“I think it’s great that the community recognizes what we do, the after-sales service and the different things we’re involved in (in the community),” Colin said.
Toni highlighted that the Best Retail Store award was new to the business and exciting to achieve.
“It just goes to show that our guys, from our salespeople to our delivery guys to our service guys, they all do a great job for our customers and for us,” Colin said. “We really appreciate what they do for Lifestyle and for our customers. They have great product knowledge.
Lifestyle Appliance & Entertainment Center offers all major appliances, mattresses, hot tubs and Big Green Egg grills.
“We also have the accessories that go with many of the appliances we sell,” Toni added, including chemicals for spas and filters for refrigerators.
They offer products they believe in, she said.
“We try to stock products that we would be comfortable putting in our home…we try to offer people a nice variety of products and companies that have been around for a long time,” Colin said. “We have the technical skills and knowledge to work on them. Our departments are all trained to work on everything we sell.
After-sales service is an important part of the business, they said.
The Wegenast family has owned the Lifestyle Appliance & Entertainment Center for more than 47 years, since the summer of 1977 when LeRoy Wegenast purchased the business. His son Colin and his wife, Toni, now own the business, with a third generation, Colin and Toni’s son Noah, also working there.
The Wegenasts are also active in civic organizations.
Toni is a member of Kiwanis and serves on its board of directors; serves on the board and executive committee of Safe Shelter, board of directors of the Jamestown Community Foundation, is a past president of the Jamestown Area Chamber of Commerce, member of the El Zagal Ladies Auxiliary, Make -A-Wish North Dakota Wish Grant and All Veterans Club Volunteer.
Colin serves on the board of directors of First Community Credit Union, is a member of the El Zagal Mystics and the James Valley Shrine Club, and serves on the Jamestown Masonic Foundation.
“Community involvement is very important to us because without community support we wouldn’t be here, so we try to give back and support the community as much as we can,” Toni said.
Their community involvement is also possible through their employees, Colin said.
“Right now we have great employees that allow us to do things outside of work for the community,” he said.
Lifestyle Appliance & Entertainment Center employs 11 full-time staff, including Toni and Colin. The business is open 8:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Saturday and can be reached at 252-8111.
Toni said they “thank the community for their continued support and belief in us.”
“We plan to stay here for a long, long time,” Colin said.
Kathy Steiner has been editor of the Jamestown Sun since 1995. She graduated from Valley City State College with a bachelor’s degree in English and studied mass communications at North Dakota State University, Fargo. She reports on business, government and community topics in the Jamestown area. Contact her at 701-952-8449 or ksteiner@jamestownsun.com.