"They Said It Couldn't Be Done."
Gordon and Shari Kelly started doing business in a store on Front Street in northeast Salem on April 15, 1974 after being told by so-called "experts" that it couldn't be done. The first store consisted of a total of 4,000 square feet including the warehouse. Their first sale, KitchenAid dishwasher, was the first step in establishing a relationship with both customer and manufacturer which continues to this day.
The Kelly's, along with 3 employees, set modest goals for the store as grew their business and raised their family. Sons Jeff and Kraig Kelly had jobs of their own – newspaper routes and and picking strawberries – which helped establish their strong work ethic. As Gordon remembers, "They learned a valuable lesson that would be with them throughout their lives; that is, if you don't produce, you don't get paid." As the business prospered, the Kelly's began to look at a new location for a larger store. In 1978, they were able to purchase land on Portland Road. They built a 15,000 square foot store which opened in 1979.
"We added more employees and expanded our offerings to include cabinets, electronics and more" recalls Gordon. The business grew steadily through the years.
Meanwhile, both sons, Jeff and Kraig, began to work in the store, first in inventory then later in the warehouse and on the sales floor.
A huge boost for the business occurred in 1982, when Kelly's began a relationship with the Nationwide Buying Group which continues to this day. "With Nationwide's $11 billion of buying power, we're able to offer savings and selection to our customers that rival any of the big box stores." says Jeff.
And those big box stores continued to come… and to go. Throughout the economic good…and not so good… times, Kelly's continued to stay in business and grow. "Relationships with our vendors, our builders, and our community are extremely important to us. It has helped us to grow our business and to provide opportunities for our employees, and products and services to our valuable customers." recalls Gordon.
Gordon Kelly retired and October 2000, and under Jeff's direction, another "impossible dream" began to materialize. It was determined that in order to compete with increasing competition and offer the best shopping experience with additional product lines, the business needed to expand. "We wanted to offer, in the Willamette Valley, the most unique shopping experience for our customers. A store that offered a World-Class experience in shopping, product selection, and service." It would be a great leap of faith, and again, there were experts who said it couldn't be done. Some of those experts believed that in order to be successful, you had to be open for business 7 days of the week. However, the Kellys believed that "Sundays are for faith, family and friends. Our employees appreciate it, and we believe our customers do, too", says Jeff.
With those principals, the Kellys began to take steps to make their dream come true. They chose a landsite in southeast Salem near Lancaster and Highway 22.
"We also believe that the youth are our future. Building better community through our youth is vital". As a result, Kelly's has always been involved in Boys and Girl clubs, Little League teams, and partnerships with organizations focused on family and children.
Even in the fact of challenging economic times, Kelly's unwavering adherence to the fundamentals has been a key to their success: sound business practices that include taking care of the customer, selling only great products, and offering the best value in town. And their perseverance in philosophy has helped them realize and live a dream that many said was impossible.
