History of Madsen's
Late in the winter of 1936, Magnus Madsen headed back to the house with a letter he had just found in the mailbox. It was from his friend, Otto. Magnus and Otto had worked together when Otto ran a small shop in Harvey, North Dakota. A heavy coat protected Magnus from North Dakota's bone chilling cold. Times were tough. Like most Americans, the years following the Great Depression were hard ones. For Magnus, the frigid North Dakota winter made conditions seem even worse. A letter from a friend was a welcome surprise.
Magnus's family had homesteaded in North Dakota after arriving from Denmark, but now Magnus had a young family of his own. North Dakota's harsh climate, coupled with poor economic conditions, made Magnus uneasy. This wasn't the life he had hoped for. Magnus's friend Otto had moved to Western Washington several years earlier and occasionally wrote. Magnus was anxious for news. As he opened the envelope, to his surprise, Otto had pressed a small crocus between the folds of his letter. Magnus held the flower in disbelief. The thought of a plant budding out West - when North Dakota was frozen solid - was more than he could bear.
In the letter was another surprise. Otto wrote that if Magnus would move West, he would hire him. Magnus quickly weighed his options and wrote back, "Thank you, I'll be out in the spring." When the spring thaw finally arrived in North Dakota, Magnus gathered all of his belongings. He stored a few tools in his family's barn and sold everything else that wouldn't fit in a two-wheeled trailer. Then, with the trailer hitched to a '31 Buick, he loaded his family and headed West. After nearly a week on the road, they arrived in the small town of Chehalis, Washington.
The two friends were happy to see each other. Otto, who had a Chevrolet dealership, helped Magnus settle in and made good on the promise of a job. Magnus went right to work. The warm summer days in Western Washington were a delight for him and his family. The occasional summer rain was refreshing and they liked how green everything stayed. When late summer arrived, they couldn't believe the bounty of fruit that grew everywhere. They picked apples, pears, and fresh blackberries. The taste of sweet ripe fruit was a pleasure beyond words and they ate their fill.
Right from the start, Magnus and his family liked Western Washington. For the next ten years, Magnus worked steady. He bought a house, saved his money, and held on to the dream of one day owning his own shop. After World War II ended, Magnus felt the time was right. So in 1946, he borrowed money and built a small wood framed building in front of his home. It was located next to a busy road in Centralia, Washington. Magnus thought it was a perfect place for a shop. In bold letters, next to the single bay door read "Madsen's Repair Shop."
Before the shop was completely finished, work started to come in. Magnus was a talented mechanic and welder. He could fix anything with an engine, rarely turned away work, and had a reputation for being a fair man. Automobiles, trucks, farm equipment, and most any engine powered device was welcome at Madsen's. One day, a customer brought in a new motorized tool. That tool was a chainsaw. It was the first time Magnus had seen a "one-man" chainsaw. Magnus was impressed. He was sure this tool was something he could sell and service, so in 1953, he became a dealer for IEL chainsaws.
At first, sales were slow, but Magnus wasn't discouraged. His repair business kept him plenty busy. By the late fifties, sales of chainsaws had improved, but Magnus's health was failing. Fortunately, his son Ralph had been working with him and was able keep the small shop going. When Magnus retired, Ralph took over the business.
Magnus and Ralph shared many qualities, but differed some, too. One thing that had frustrated Ralph was his father's lack of a book keeping system. Magnus was a talented mechanic, but he believed records were a waste of time. For Magnus, his wallet was both the cash register and a filing cabinet. A few handwritten notes were all he felt was necessary. Ralph's approach was different. He believed for Madsen's to grow, he needed records. So, during the day, he worked at the shop, and at night, he did book work. Ralph's long hours paid off and Madsen's did to grow.
Ralph also realized that Madsen's needed more space. In 1959, new walls encircled Magnus's original shop building. This extra space was enough to contain Madsen's for the next decade.
In the early seventies, both the saw shop and the auto repair business had grown considerably. Both were viable businesses of their own and Ralph saw a need to separate them. Again, the building was remodeled and expanded. Each business now had its own office and work area.
In 1980, son, Sam, joined up with his Dad. Ralph encouraged Sam to concentrate on the chainsaw side of the business and over the next few years, Sam added many chainsaw related products. Along with an expanding product line, Madsen's was gaining a regional reputation for good service and low prices. Soon Madsen's had hundreds of customers - many in distant locales. Again, Madsen's needed more space. This time, instead of more construction, the auto and truck repair business was closed. The saw shop then expanded into the newly empty space.
Throughout the eighties Madsen's grew and in 1988, a new building was built across the street from the existing shop. The new warehouse building was nearly the same size as the current shop building, doubling the working space. The new warehouse also made it easier for Madsen's to handle truck loads of merchandise. This, in turn, made it easier to buy products directly from manufacturers. Both Ralph and Sam knew aggressive buying was the secret to low prices. Madsen's customers soon felt the benefit of this warehouse and business grew accordingly.
In 1990, Ralph retired and his daughter, Mary, joined the business. Like Sam, his sister had worked at Madsen's while in school, but instead of joining up right after college, she worked outside the business as a CPA. Madsen's needed a first-rate accounting system and Mary's training and experience provided one.
In 1996, Madsen's celebrated fifty years in business. This year also marked the beginning of construction of a new facility. A larger parcel in a better location was acquired and a new building was built. After keeping the original address for more than fifty years, Madsen's moved to a new location in 1999. This project had take more than two years to complete and more than tripled Madsen's work space. It allowed for more phones, more computer terminals, and a streamlined order processing line. It also made room for a larger service area, high capacity pallet racking, and an improved loading dock. Everything from new displays to a larger selection of products improved Madsen's ability to serve professional customers. Where else could you walk on logs when trying on a pair of calked boots inside the store? What other shop had the sizing and selection of over 2000 pairs of logger's jeans?
Now, another decade has passed. Like their grandfather and father before them, Sam and Mary work to perpetuate the legacy of serving professional customers. Like all organizations that endure the test of time, Madsen's has changed. While Magnus Madsen never imagined the Internet or the possibility that someday a computer would tell him how many parts he had in inventory, he wouldn't be surprised that two important things haven't changed - the value Madsen's places on professional customers, and their commitment to serving them.
Both Sam and Mary are quick to point out that the history of Madsen's includes the contribution of great suppliers, many terrific employees, and thousands of loyal customers. "Today we serve the sons, and sometimes grandsons, of early customers" says Sam. He adds, "Sure we sell great products, but people are the life of a business. Madsen's provides the opportunity to make friends and associate with a lot of great people. Our history is really about those relationships."