Paul Wesley
In Style sp 2014
by Donna Dvorak
If your old appliances spit, splatter, spill over and create more noise than a demolition derby, you may need to visit visit Bill Vandegrift, Inc. Besides selling top line appliances, this family-owned business also installs and fixes them. In fact Bill Vandegrift, Inc. impresses their clients with their knowledge and the level of confidence they have in their products.
“My father started the business out of his home in 1958, built the building in 1962 and opened it in January, 1963,” says Bill Vandegrift, Jr. “We’ve been in New Britain for 51 years but originally we opened in Doylestown, which was my grandfather’s business. He opened in 1936 and sold toys, auto parts, dabbled in the appliance business and sold a little bit of everything. My grandfather had some health issues. My father, Bill Sr. returned from World War II and helped my grandfather. In 1957, my father learned the trade and ventured out on his own. He repaired appliances and his customers asked him to start selling them.”
Bill Jr. learned the trade and eventually purchased the adjoining building and connected it via a cupola with a bright red tin roof. He added more showrooms, brought in chefs for culinary events and wine pairings, and people learned how to cook on the appliances as if it were their own kitchens. “We’re still a family business,” he says. “My daughter, Lindsay, manages the business and oversees the day-to-day operations and my wife Jan works in our bookkeeping department.
To finish reading about Bill Vandegrift turn to page 154 in our Apring 2014 issue of Bucks County Magazine.