It was a transaction almost 90 years in the making - Karvonen's, the furniture store on Main Street in Perham, has been purchased by Aaron Karvonen from John Karvonen, making the transition to a fourth generation of family ownership.
Karvonen's was founded in October of 1926 by Yalmer Karvonen. His son, Harold, joined the business in the 1940s, and it was then purchased by John in the early 1980s.
The change in ownership was official as of May 1, 2015.
Aaron graduated from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis two years ago.
"So much of the conversation was geared towards big business - it was never about a small business," he said, adding that classes often focused on one employee doing one job. "Well, half of my people are in three or four positions on any given day."
ADVERTISEMENT
That was when Aaron realized he wanted to be in a small business, where he could be involved in multiple aspects at once.
"I really, really like it," Aaron said of the business, noting that he often drove back to Perham on the weekends to work at the store while he was in school. "I really love working with the people. Every part of it is so fun - it's something different every single day."
Aaron said he has been handling much of the day-to-day aspects of the business for the past year, including sales and ordering inventory.
John will still be helping some, to ensure everything continues to go smoothly.
"I think he said, 'OK, you're ready,' and we started talking about it... and here we are," Aaron said. "My dad, he's done this for 30 years. So, he's looking for time freedom now, and he's going to take his opportunity to take it, I guess."
"He pretends that he doesn't have a job anymore, but he still shows up six days a week," Aaron said of John. "He pretends that he wants to stay home and that he's going to sleep in - but he doesn't."
"I haven't rushed to do anything significant," Aaron said when asked what plans he has in mind for the business.
His father's "third generation owner" sign is still hanging above the entrance on Main Street.
ADVERTISEMENT
Some changes in the store that were led by Aaron include the addition of Natuzzi leather furniture and the addition of Tempur-Pedic beds.
"We're always listening to our customers," Aaron said of the additions and other vendor changes that have been made. "When we hear something, we say, 'OK, if it's feasible for us, feasible for the customer and everything else makes sense, let's do it."
Of his hopes for the future, Aaron said he hopes to have the chance to pass the business on to a fifth generation someday in the years to come.
