Jan. 7, 2021

Sioux Falls is getting a new family-owned, independent appliance business.

Dugan Sales & Service, founded in 1911, is the oldest family-owned business in Watertown.

It’s expanding to Sioux Falls with a location in the Gilrich Village retail center at 1116 W. 41st St.  The store will be in the space occupied by Party America before it relocated across the street.

“It’s a good spot for us,” said Jeremy McBurney, who along with his wife, Erin, is a fourth-generation owner of the appliance sales and servicing business.

“There’s just no stopping the growth in the community of Sioux Falls. I think there’s plenty of opportunity for us to sell appliances along with the other competitors.”

The store will be about 5,600 square feet and all showroom space as Dugan plans to lease a warehouse in Sioux Falls for inventory.

Kitchen brands will include Whirlpool, LG, KitchenAid, JennAir, the LG line Signature Kitchen Suite, Thermador and Bosch. Laundry will include LG, Electrolux and Speed Queen, which “has been a big one for us in Watertown,” McBurney said.

“We’ll have two working kitchens, and the goal will be to bring in contractors to have dinners and little events.”

Dugan increasingly has worked with apartment developers and managers to provide appliances, which contributed to the decision to enter the Sioux Falls market.

“It’s just far enough from Watertown it doesn’t make sense to drive to see our showroom,” McBurney said.

He lived in Sioux Falls from 2005 to 2013 and jokes he grew up here because it was his first time living alone at 22.

“I love the community,” he said. “I feel like I know it well enough to stay competitive and run a good retail business.”

He also sees room in the market for more appliance servicing, especially as the city grows.

“I have three service techs hired specifically for that market because that’s who we want to capture,” he said. “We’ve been lucky in that regard and had good candidates fall in our lap.”

Dugan also is hiring additional sales, service and delivery workers for a total staff of about a dozen.

The plan is to open in mid-March.

“I don’t think that will be much of an issue for us,” McBurney said. “The biggest part is tearing down some old paneling on the walls, painting it, and the rest is relatively easy. They’ll have cabinets built for us, and then we just have to fill it with appliances. And we have those.”

Family-owned appliance retailer enters next generation during historic year