This Father’s Day, we’re acknowledging our dad, Vincent Zeien, who got our family business off the ground 70 years ago. In 1955, he started Zeien’s Appliance in our backyard in St. Paul, Minnesota, using his skills to fix appliances and build a livelihood. With our mom, Iona, he raised seven kids, and we all grew up working on refrigerators, washers, and more—it was part of the deal.
Vincent was a gruff man, shaped by tough times. Finances were tight, and making ends meet was a constant struggle, but he kept the business going. Asthma in the family forced us to adapt. Every winter, we’d pack up and move to San Diego, setting up an outdoor showroom on Texas Street. Summers meant heading back to Minnesota. The constant moving was a hassle, but we managed.
There were lighter moments. We’d have apple fights in the yard with siblings or snowball fights using snow piled on the appliances. Sundays started with Laurel and Hardy, The Three Stooges, and cartoons before we got to work.
Eventually, we outgrew Zeien’s Appliance—partly because we were tired of being last in the phone book back when those mattered—and rebranded to Appliance Depot. Now, 70 years later, we’re into our third generation, still running the business Vincent started. This Father’s Day, we want to wish all hardworking fathers a happy Father's Day.
—The Zeien Family
