A business I truly miss from Charlottesville’s past is Ron Martin Appliance. I also miss the dear owners, Ron and Nancy Martin. For years, we played bridge with the Martin’s and took biannual beach trips with them and other friends.
Ron was outgoing and honest to a fault.
I remember one day, I called him and said we needed an extra refrigerator as an overflow for downstairs. I told him to pick one out for me and send me a bill. Ron delivered a scratch-and-dent special the next day. I think he charged me $125. That was 30 years ago and it’s still downstairs and it’s still working.
Ron knew the appliance business backwards and forwards and confided that it was an extremely competitive field. He said the margins were miniscule and often when he was trying to establish his business, he worried about making payroll the next week.
As I recall. Ron opened his first store on Berkmar Drive. Later, he bought the strip mall on 29 N across from Chick Filet and set up a magnificent appliance store with all the bells and whistles. Not long after that, Nancy became ill and passes away, soon followed by my close friend Ron Martin.
I miss Ron and his appliance store. I miss the personal touch and can say without reservation that there’s not another store in the world from which I would buy a refrigerator sight unseen except Ron Martin’s Appliance.
