A large inflatable duck hangs out in a hot tub Sept. 8, 2023, at the new Appliances and More store at the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Greenwood Street in La Grande. The building's transom windows, which can be seen here, are at the epicenter of an ongoing issue between the city and building owners Jay and Kristin Wilson.

LA GRANDE — Appliances and More, of Baker City, has opened its second store at 212 Greenwood St., La Grande.

Owners Jay and Kristin Wilson have been in the appliance business for more than 22 years, and they were honored as “Dealers of the Year” at the national 2023 BrandSource Convention & Expo in Nashville, Tennessee, in August. Their recognition in the appliance industry is well earned.

“We have a store in Baker City, which we opened May 1, 2017, and we opened our second store in La Grande on Aug. 12,” Kristin Wilson said. “After purchasing the 10,000-square-foot store in La Grande, we did some minor remodeling and repainting. Now we are looking for a store manager and sales staff for the La Grande store.”

Appliances and More offers appliance brands such as Whirlpool, GE, Speed Queen, LG, Electrolux/Frigidaire and Bosch/Thermador. They also sell commercial appliances. Besides appliances, they sell mattresses, hot tubs, saunas, massage chairs and furniture.

“Our brand of furniture is Montana Woodworks Amish furniture, manufactured in Rexford, Montana,” Wilson said. “We brought the Amish furniture into the store because there’s a need for it. Our Amish furniture is amazing and it has a lifetime warranty on it.”

Handcrafted by the artisans of Montana Woodworks, the Amish furniture on display are from the Homestead Collection, the Glacier Country Collection and the Montana Collection. These include their own uniquely finished bedroom sets, some with storage drawers underneath the bed, some with just a headboard and footboard. The bed sets include dressers and nightstands.

The Homestead Collection features a more square-cut wood with a dark brown stain. The Glacier Collection showcases beautiful grain and knotty wood with a natural finish. The Montana Collection has unfinished natural woods with classic spindle-style headboards and footboards.

The store also displays Montana Woodworks’ dining sets and china hutches, as well as rockers, gliders, porch or patio swings and other outdoor furniture.

“We will also take custom furniture orders for Montana Woodworks, according to the buyer’s drawings,” Wilson said.

The store sells Marquis Spas, made in Independence, Oregon, which are higher-end hot tubs with jets and micro-silk bubbles designed to help heal skin conditions. The massage chairs and saunas are all part of this product line.

“When you buy a product from us, whether that’s an appliance or anything else, we’re here to take care of you. You are part of our family,” Wilson said. “More than anything else, we want our customers to know that we’re here to service everything we sell. That includes refrigerators, washers, dryers, hot water heaters and commercial appliances too.”

Kristin Wilson looks forward to getting to know Union County’s residents. As for her family, she said that she and Jay have been married for 22 years, and he serves as a volunteer firefighter. They live on a 642-acre family cattle ranch between North Powder and Haines. Their four children attend schools in the North Powder School District and are very involved in school sports. She said they live and love the Western lifestyle and have strong family and community values.