Despite launching their business exactly a month before the COVID pandemic, Dan and Ann Bullock, founders and owners of Monadnock Appliance, are celebrating five years in business. 

“We planned for three years before starting this business,”” Anne said. “But then COVID happened, and we just had to figure it out.”

The Bullocks signed the lease on the former Olympia Sports space in the Cheshire Marketplace at 497 Route 202 in Rindge in February 2020. Previously, Ann had a career in marketing, and Dan had 10 years of experience in appliance service and repair. Ann left her job on March 1, 2020, to go into business with her husband. 

“And then two weeks later, the pandemic hit,” she said. 

“We had hired staff, rented the space, ordered our inventory,” Dan said. “And then everything went haywire.” 

Fortunately, the couple’s brand-new business was deemed essential.

“People have to eat. They have to store their food. They have to cook. They have to do laundry,” Dan said. 

“With people at home more, we actually saw a higher need for repairs,” Ann said.

The problem was that soon, products just weren’t available due to supply chain issues. 

“We were open, but we had almost nothing on the floor,” Dan said.

“We had to change our whole plan for selling,” Ann said.

According to the Bullocks, freezers were in the greatest demand during the first few months of the pandemic.

“They were all just gone right away, and we couldn’t get more,” Dan said. “There were no more freezers until October.” 

During lockdown, lines from Market Basket extended all the way across the Cheshire Plaza, past Monadnock Appliance and into the dirt lot where a state liquor store now stands. 

“The good thing was that people had to walk by us in line and then they realized we were here,”  Dan said. 

The Bullocks say it took until the end of 2021 for the supply chain to stabilize, and until 2022 before the business had “a sense of normalcy.” 

“It is all about building long-term relationships with the community. We’re very fortunate, and we have continued to grow,” Dan said. 

Dan now has a staff of three service and repair people, and is slowly expanding the service area. The Bullocks say the current retail environment is  “challenging.”

“I can’t think of any home appliance products that are made entirely in North America,” he said. “Everyone gets chips and electronics boards from Asia.” 

On Memorial Day weekend, Monadnock Appliance will celebrate five years in business with raffles and demonstrations of grills and other outdoor equipment. Dan will be making homemade thin-crust pizza and handing out samples. For information, go to monadnockappliance.com.