Richmond’s Koons Home Center will celebrate 60 years of service with an anniversary event on June 5 from noon-7 p.m. at 221 SW 18th Street. Owners Jason and Kristi Cones welcome all that made this milestone possible.
Koons Home Center was founded by Ron Koons, Kristi’s grandfather, who she says had the “heart of an entrepreneur.”
While he was working at a California cereal factory, a coworker piqued Ron’s interest in appliances after witnessing a satisfied customer. It set him on track to opening his own store, relocating to Indiana near his wife’s family.
Throughout his career, Kristi said he had one regret — not purchasing the neighboring lot once Henry’s restaurant closed. A Subway occupies the lot.
Ron retired in 2020, with the Cones taking care of him and handling in-store operations. He passed away a year later, and Kristi and Jason naturally stepped in as the owners.
Jason said Ron’s mantra has been the secret to their longevity.
“We don’t deal in sales at all. We solve problems and fulfill customers’ needs,” said Jason. As appliance professionals, he said they inform customers with knowledge not offered at other retailers. Kristi added they also repair their products and prioritize specific services to ensure customer satisfaction.
“If a customer’s not strong enough to change the refrigerator filter, we’ll do that for them,” said Kristi. “Personalized things make a big difference.”
These differences are provided by a dedicated team including nine-year sales manager Karl Couser, self-proclaimed “Service Queen” Melissa Cooper and deliverers Bradley Jenkins and Sam Orr. Service technician Michael Brock has handled repairs for 32 years. And accounting’s Candy Miller has been with Koons for 44.
In addition to the core team, Marc McDugle handles IT services, D&B Plumbing does dishwasher installs and Hank Handley specializes in cabinetry. And a special mascot, Gus the squirrel, greets them each morning for peanuts and water.
For years to come, the Cones plan on doing more of the same: sticking with their core values and taking care of customers the best they can.
A version of this article appeared in the June 3 2026 print edition of the Western Wayne News.