Gene Willard of Willard Appliance

Meet Gene, the 3rd generation owner/operator of Willard Appliance. Since 1979, Willard has been Audubon Park's celebrated provider of sales and services of washers and dryers, window and wall air conditioners, ranges, disposals, refrigerators, ovens, freezers, and microwaves. Gene has also been a huge contributor to the culture of Audubon Park as a commercial property owner; making every effort to find tenants who are the best fit for the community and who add to our rich tapestry of independent retail and food offerings. Visit them online https://www.willardappliance.com

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Transcript

Into: 0:12

Hi friends, thank you for joining us for another episode of Hello A PGD, a neighborhood podcast about the Audubon Park Garden District in Orlando, florida. I'm your host, michael Lothrop, and today we'll be speaking with Gene Willard, third-generation owner-operator of Willard Appliance, with sales and repair services in Audubon Park Community since 1979. Located at 310 Corrine Drive. You can find them online at WillardAppliancecom. If you'd like to be a guest on the show or if you'd like to be a sponsor, please feel free to message me on Instagram at Hello A PGD Pod. Thank you for listening. This episode is brought to you in part by Trevor Brown, Audubon Park resident and trusted Central Florida Realtor with Fannie Hillman Associates, proudly serving their clients for over 40 years. For listings, market trends, helpful home buyer and seller tips. Email directly to Trevor at FannieHillman.com or find him on Instagram at Trevor Brown Realtor. 

Mike:

And with me today is Gene Willard, third-generation business owner at Willard Appliance. Welcome, Gene. Thank you for being here. So I understand you've been here at the shop in Audubon Park since 1979. So you have seen the gamut of the changes? What are some of your earliest memories of Audubon Park back from that time?

Gene: 1:48

Thank you very much for having me.The alley being dirt. Not many other businesses around the plaza. Old time RCA TV repair shop. 

Mike: 1:58

So was that part of Willard? I know the RCA sign is there and I love that it's still there. It's such a relic, it's such an icon of that period. 

Gene: 2:08

We leave it there just for iconic reasons, but the gentleman was there for 53 years and it was not part of Willard Appliance. At one time we were in the TV business as well, way back in the 60s. 

Mike: 2:23

Okay, Yeah, that's before my time just a little bit. So obviously, as a third-generation business, your grandfather was initially the one that was in the industry. How did he get started? 

Gene: 2:38

He told me that he looked around trying to figure out. He was kind of in the produce grocery store. He said he needed to get into something that would need repaired. All people would need services. So that's how he started in the appliance business. They come out with appliances. He knew they had to be repaired and that's how he started And still to this day. 

Mike: 3:00

It's a very useful thing, especially being that Audubon Park's one of the focuses of the neighborhood is historic preservation and reuse and not getting rid of stuff, basically being environmentally friendly. And one of the ways that we can do that is to, one, buy things that last And two, if something can be fixed, to have it repaired rather than leave it at the curb for a landfill. So it's very ideal that you're right here in this neighborhood. It's such a timeless thing and it's still a perfect fit for what people's goals are and what the focus is here, and it's such a valuable skill set to have here and service to have here. 

Gene: 3:44

Yes, yes, it is, And we recycle all the appliances. Either they go if gentlemen picks it up, we don't get paid for it He sorts them out, puts the metal through recycling Some of the other products we refer to for people that cannot afford new and they're just as happy as that they can have an appliance that's reliable and in work and not pay a new price. 

Mike: 4:12

Absolutely. Yeah, yeah, and basically, it's all word of mouth customers, right? You really, you stay busy enough without doing a whole lot of advertising or branching out

Gene: 4:23

Correct. We have a large following of customers. For years we've been the third generation with some of our customers. Wow, when we moved in, it was previously a pharmacy. 

Mike: 4:35

Yes, this space itself was a pharmacy, correct? 

Gene: 4:39

Right, and it fell right into place for us, you know, and the military of course. The base over there was open, so we saw them come and go and, you know, with Baldwin Park moving in and that inflating, everything you know, more population, more people, more need. Microwaves were just in the infantry. Yeah, at that time, right, and that was a big deal, correct. 

Mike: 5:06

Yeah, i remember microwaves. They're still around right? Now it's all about the air fryer. It's interesting how that 's changed a bit. When the Navy base was here, previously an Army base when your family opened up shop at that time? 

Gene: 5:24

Yes, and we actually worked on the base for them And we fixed all the quarters where people stayed. When they came in town there all the colonels and stuff And they would go to the main office. They would escort us to the unit street pair stuff and escort us back And so they knew us quite well And we had a good relationship with them. They needed us and we needed them. 

Mike: 5:47

Yeah, that makes a lot of sense, and what a convenient location too, right? So you probably still, as you were saying, you still have customers from that time period, or some of them, customers from the base there as well. 

Gene: 6:02

Absolutely. A lot of them that worked on that base are customers and still alive, and still customers. 

Mike: 6:11

Yeah, I mean it seems like eons ago, and especially now, looking at Baldwin Park, you wouldn't know that that was formerly a military base. 

Gene: 6:18

Right, absolutely not, it's certainly glorified beauty-wise.

Mike: 6:24

It definitely is. I wonder what are some of the changes and the trends in the neighborhood that you're excited about currently, or things that are going on that you're into? 

Gene: 6:41

They're making use of what's here, like the parks. They're making them much nicer places to take the kids to ride their bikes. Everywhere You have Leu Gardens that have programs. And every so many months there's a place here in the plaza that they put on like Mellow Market. Plenty of vendors and stuff. And people, kind of be free and enjoy life. 

Mike: 7:00

Yeah, it's like a real quality of life focus in this neighborhood too, right? People care about who they're doing business with and that experience, that creativity that's here. It's very vibrant and it makes the neighborhood very unique. And a lot of people travel here and they want to be part of it, right? 

Gene: 7:22

Oh, absolutely, and we're fortunate to have a 10-foot sidewalk. A lot of places only have a 5 foot sidewalk. So people can safely walk side by side and people can pass. It's nice.

Mike: 7:33

And there's a little bit of space for outdoor seating for cafes B3, like the space that was formerly bikes, beans and Bordeaux. There's plenty of room for that, right?

Gene: 7:44

Absolutely, absolutely. And people use it. They love to sit down and just watch other people and walk their dogs and their kids on a tricycle, bicycle, whatever. 

Mike: 7:54

Yeah, and you're right next to Kelly's ice cream, which is such a treat. 

Gene: 7:58

Yeah, it's kind of hard to resist and watch the weight at the same time. 

Mike: 8:04

I would imagine. Yeah, we live just a block from here and i find myself frequenting those spots. Sugardough Bakehouse is amazing as well. If you haven't tried them. And I understand, you are a property owner of multiple spaces here. Was that just the kind of relationships that you had with the shop owners or the building owners, and how did that come to be? 

Gene: 8:31

When we first moved into the first section of the building, we leased from a lady, very nice lady, and she loved the fact that we were family, we were coming in there and we didn't give her any problems. We took care of stuff for her. And then we always said, hey, if you ever want to sell, you know we'd like first chance at it, and that day came and we purchased that. And then when the other section came available, we purchased that as well. Several years down the road. So that was nice, because her husband built the shopping plaza and that was her income. And then she loved the fact that, you know, the relationship I had with my grandfather and it was a family business. And the business was formed the year I was born. 

Mike: 9:18

Wow, What a way to remember it too, right? That's excellent. So she and her husband owned this entire plaza, is that right? So they built it. 

Gene: 9:31

They built it, yes.. They owned it for many years and then they sold sections. And stuff like that as well, which was kind of nice, and they didn't need the income anymore. They turned it over to somebody else to continue with their generation of businesses like they did. And like I was saying, the business originated when I was born and my grandfather, many years later, passed away on my birthday, which was really ironic. 

Mike:

Wow. So was Willard always in Audubon Park since the origin, or did it have another location? 

Gene: 

Started out at Church Street and Central Avenue, right off of Central and Church. Downtown Orlando and moved around the corner on Westmoreland for many years. And then the old 7-Eleven at Bumby and Robinson. We had all the storefront there. Then we opened up here and then we had the two and then we moved, you know, closed that down and stayed here and then just expanded here. 

Mike: 10:39

So what year did you move into Audubon Park? 

Gene: 10:43

I believe that was about 1979. I believe it was Como Pharmacy if I remember right.

Mike: 10:48

And you had mentioned, there was a bullet hole that was still in the wall from when it was a pharmacy. Do you know the history of that? 

Gene: 10:57

I just know it's still there. We never covered it up. Yeah, and apparently at one time somebody was either robbing the place or shot through to break the window. 

Mike: 11:10

What would you say, your recollection of, kind of the earliest memories of Audubon Park? What were your sort of first impressions? I know you had mentioned that the back alley used to be dirt. That's sort of a surprising one (but I guess also maybe not surprising, because it's still rather unfinished back there) but it is paved, right? But what were some of the other things that stood out when you came to visit this area? 

Gene: 11:35

That it was old and it had character. You know, lots of trees. And there's always a lot of activity here due to the base and Leu Gardens and the school. The school was here for years and years. One of the other people that are in the plaza used to go to school there. 

Mike: 11:57

Yeah, that old Audubon Park School, Right? It was the elementary?

Gene: 12:00

Correct. And his mom used to walk him there and then come back here and work in the office at the plaza here. 

Mike: 12:08

Yeah, that school sat dormant for a while, got used kind of as a magnet school or like a temporary school for a little bit, and now it's this whole thing, the K through 8 center. it is pretty incredible what they've done with it. 

Gene: 12:25

Oh, absolutely, yes. 

Mike: 12:28

Yeah, and I think that has added to the vibrance of the community as well. There's a lot of young families now in Audubon Park and I think that people are so interested in the history of you know just how the neighborhood started. And I had heard initially when the plans were made to build Audubon Park, the neighborhood, it was actually kind of controversial because the people in the area were worried about that growth and with the roads and different resources and things like that, which I was kind of surprised about. 

Gene: 13:04

Right, the impact. But there again the school needed to be updated. You know, the population of the area has just grown tremendously with Baldwin and new subdivisions. You know Winter Park, like add it on or take a house or two down and make two, three houses, you know, and doing multiple units, like right off behind Fashion Square. You know they built all those big buildings right on the corner of Bennett Road and McGuire. Yeah, that's a lot of population right there.

Mike: 13:37

Yeah and it'll be interesting to see what they do with Fashion Square. I'd imagine you remember going to that mall when it was alive and kicking right? 

Gene: 13:51

Absolutely. And I remember way back when Colonial Plaza and Belks was there, Jordan Marsh was there And we did business with Jordan Marsh. We used to install their TVs and all that they sold. Way back when we were in the TV business, yeah. 

Mike: 14:11

So Colonial Plaza was different than what people see now, right? It was more of a mall, but a smaller mall than Fashion Square, Where it was kind of all connected. 

Gene: 14:24

Correct. Small neighborhood shopping area. You had Belks and Jordan Marsh and a diner. The diner was there for quite many years. 

Mike: 14:34

And as far as the plazas go, what are some of the other businesses that stand out that you remember that people might be surprised about? I know that there was a Krispy Kreme. I think it's now where the Lovely is, right?

Gene: 14:50

And where we're at right now, which is sort of our showroom, was a Maryland Fried Chicken in this building. 

Mike: 15:00

Yeah, right. 

Gene: 15:01

And we had to do the roof. We took the vent system down that they had. And we wondered what these pipes inside the floor were for. They're water pipes in the floor, you know? So big transition. 

Mike: 15:14

Yeah, i would say, and you would never know it. To look at it now too, right? That's fascinating. 

Gene: 15:22

Correct. There used to be the automotive place on the other side of us. And they had the underground where they went under the cars to work, change oils and stuff, and then it went to be a lawnmower bicycle shop, and then it went down the road to be a jewelry store, and then a snow cone and now it's ice cream. So that was a big transition, from an automotive shop that you drove in the back area to a jewelry shop, to a snow cone place, to an ice cream shop. 

Mike: 15:55

Yes, I would say so. I had no idea about that. That's fascinating. If you're in the alley and you're looking at the back of that building, do you see any traces of that? I mean, they probably bricked it in because there's not like a bay door where cars would fit in. 

Gene: 16:10

Yeah, the doors were there for a long time And then, when they renovated the last time, they made it a full wall and took the door out. 

Mike: 16:17

Wow, That's so cool, yeah, and these stories. I'd love to get a map of the plaza and get the history as far as what people can recall what each of the things were, because I think it kind of tells the story of the evolution of the neighborhood, too. And it's like there are different services that were needed, And it's incredible just how well your business is still thriving after all of this time too, right? It's not even adapting with the time, so much, these are services that were needed then and the foresight that your grandfather had to say “I need to figure out something that is going to be needed in the long term.” I mean, who would have imagined what? 60 years later, you're still here. 

Gene: 17:09

Right, right, and my dad was involved in the business also way back in the 60s and so on and so forth, and it just kind of carried through until today. We're still here and still thriving. 

Mike: 17:25

Yeah, what a legacy. I mean, that's such a rare story too. I think, right? 

Gene: 17:31

Oh absolutely. There's a few businesses still around for three generations, but it's tough. It's hard to get good help and get help period, for that matter. But we try to tailor to the customer's needs and a little more custom, a little more do what they need, versus just being straight “this is all we do.” We kind of go over the line a little bit to help them. 

Mike: 17:55

Yeah, and that's that extra touch that it takes, right? You keep your customers, as long as they're happy and you're providing the services that they're looking to get, and you're specialized, because there are not many places that do what you do as well, right? 

Gene: 18:24

And we're a GE franchise dealer and we're a Speed Queen franchise dealer, which are very hard franchises to get unless you're, you know, one of the bigger chains or something. You know, they are very particular on who they give a franchise to. 

Mike: 18:33

Wow, yeah. What a family to be part of, right? 

Gene: 18:37

Correct Right. We're very fortunate. Yeah, our customers are good to us.

Mike: 18:39

Yeah, so speaking of B3, that is one of the properties that you do own. And I know it's still very up in the air about what will be the future of that space, but I know everybody is watching and very curious to know. Because the food options are great in the neighborhood but there's always room for more, right?

Gene: 19:05

Well, I believe now what is going to happen. I just got info today from the people. It's going to be food and I think it's going to be an enhancement to the area. And we'll see.

Mike: 19:27

Ok. I like that little teaser. I like how we had the truck sound effect right as you were saying that too. That's going to translate really well. It was very dramatic. So now that it's decided, I can imagine the wheels will start turning and we'll hear more about it soon enough. And we miss B3. They had such a great following and, and there are lovely people. I mean they're still in the neighborhood and we get to see them a lot. 

Gene: 20:04

Absolutely, Jen and Darrell were just fabulous people. When they first came to me to open it up, i said, okay, you're going to start a restaurant. And they had told me that. You know, they just got married and this was their dream and they had the family behind them and they had an advisor. And I say, well, that is fantastic, and they were here a long time. Yeah, they were. And this couple that's going in is a young couple and I think they have the same dream and they're going to be an enhancement to the area in the plaza and we'll see. 

Mike: 20:47

Yeah and it's continuing that story too, right? That's really cool. 

Gene: 20:51

Correct. Again, not for that, versus the large corporation going in and pushing people out. I love to see individuals like our family did. Yes, you know and to grow and live their dreams and work their dreams. 

Mike: 21:08

It's really what makes this community so unique too, isn't it Like you don't find that in an area that it's really kind of so well curated, Like people are attracted to it because of the independent spirit and that it's like you know, we're all small businesses here, right? 

Gene: 21:25

Correct. And you know and we tell people the way. It is the truth. You know whether it hurts or not. At least I know the truth. People move away. They drive all the way back to buy an appliance or get advice or get parts because they cannot find that service anymore. Everybody wants to just throw away and get something new. It doesn't last as long as some of the old stuff. So therefore, you know it's like somebody that actually takes an interest in helping them keep things going instead of just having to replace it all the time. 

Mike: 22:03

Yeah, yeah, it counts for appliances, it counts for everything in this neighborhood, right? It's like, yeah, rather than tear down and build a new. It's like such good bones here, right. 

Gene: 22:16

Absolutely. You know the building's been through all these hurricanes and tornadoes. Insurance companies say, hey, no damage and all the new buildings had damage. I know it's an old building, but it's been here. 

Mike: 22:33

It's built to last right? And I also understand that the roof was constructed to be sturdy enough to have helicopters land on them. 

Gene: 22:42

What I was told originally when they had to get permission for them to build this plaza, that they would have the rights to commandeer the plaza in case we went to war. So there are some special beams in the building that could land a certain direction on the building top and that it would support them in those days, but as a commanding unit, but not the helicopters today. Okay, But back then, you know, and their red steel eye beams so many feet apart, And of course you got your inner wood construction with that. But that's what I was told. Yeah, It adds to the stability and the sturdiness of it. 

Mike: 23:33

Yes, It was way above building codes back then. For that reason, which is such a fascinating reason too, to think about, right? And our eaves out the front go 10 feet out without any bottom extra supports. Yeah, that's a rare thing too, right? 

Gene: 23:50

Correct, right. 

Mike: 23:55

Yeah, and so people have protection from the elements when it's raining, and that's one of the things that, when we do have hurricanes, the awnings are usually the only things to go because they were built after the fact. 

Gene: 24:12

Right, we usually take them down. This last one didn't think it was going to be a good idea. So some people left them up and you know they got tore up a little bit. We lost one sign. That was when it was leaving. When came the other way that stepped the sign for Adam's Jewelry. But you know, that could be redone. It hurt the frame, just the inserts. 

Mike: 24:36

Yeah, all told, that's really not too bad, right, correct? Those were kind of scary storms too. 

Gene: 24:37

Absolutely. 

Mike: 24:38

Especially with all of the water and all of the water, and I think that we're at a good elevation here too. We don't run into some of those problems that other areas do. 

Gene: 24:53

Yeah, we've never, never flooded out. 

Mike: 24:55

Yeah, and so you probably remember also when Corrine Drive was pretty pristine right, when it was newer, at least, right?

Gene: 25:05

And also when they developed Corrine Drive they had to make it wide enough for the military vehicles. So they took away from the property so that the road could be wide enough to handle the military equipment. And I have the original blue paper blueprints of when this plaza originated and started out in a crusty cardboard casing. It's really kind of neat to see that paper, the way they made those blueprints back then its originals. 

Mike: 25:40

Yeah, it was like blue film in a way, right?

Gene: 25:44

No bluer than blue paper. Thick, rolled up, and then they put it in a cardboard cartridge. it's pretty cool to look at, so I don't take it out very often because it is old. 

Mike: 26:01

Yeah, the history, I mean, it's a relatively young community here, being in the 50s, like when things were built and these were orange groves, from what I understand, that the Dr Phillips family owned before it all kind of changed over to a neighborhood. But yeah, I mean, what a difference like 70 years makes right, 

Gene: 26:26

Oh, absolutely. And if you told somebody many years ago this would happen, they would say the psychiatrist is down the street, you know. 

Mike: 26:33

Right and i feel like it's gone in a pretty good direction too. And I just wanted to say thank you from myself and from the community that you have kept that history intact and who curates some of the businesses that are here, too. You're very thoughtful with whom you invite as applicants that fits the neighborhood. That fits kind of what people in the neighborhood are interested in. You want it to be a viable small business and you know the customer base here. 

Gene: 27:29

To enhance the neighborhood and the businesses and not something that's confrontational or inappropriate, or just a trend and so it's helpful to community the services they provide. You don't have to go as far. You come up here and you can get everything done, from haircuts to food, to ice cream, to your laundry, to your chiropractor, you know, to your jewelry, To your exercises. I mean, there's not many places you can go in one strip and get all that. 

Mike: 27:47

And you've got a thriving record store there too, in the same way that it's just like they're still doing it? Yeah, and that's a testament as well to kind of how well run things are here too, that I'm just amazed with how well Park Ave CDs does and they know their customers and they serve their customers really well and that's how they've stayed in business. 

Gene: 28:12

Absolutely, and Owl’s Attic that's here in the Plaza. They have a lot of the stuff that you had when you were a kid, you grew up, your parents had that they gave you, and they have all these old items that were just like relics to us today, that were just common day stuff back then. So they're really a treasure hunter that puts it out. It's really enjoyable to walk through their store there. 

Mike: 28:41

Yeah, it's like a museum right? With stuff that you can buy and take home and have in your own space and remember. 

Gene: 28:49

Oh, absolutely and I don't have to own. All I have to do is go through their store and walk around and look, I don't have to have it at home anymore. It's displayed. I don't have to go find it in a box or a closet. 

Mike: 29:02

Isn't that so nice? I'm always so amazed with how well they organize everything, too. Owl’s Attic, the Lovely, Dear Prudence, and Primrose, like just there's such a good selection of gifts and it's all just in its right place.

Gene: 29:27

Right. And Dr Weaver and Dr Albers. They go way, way back in this plaza before us and they're just such a fabulous community doctor. It's amazing. 

Mike: 29:39

Yeah, I would like to talk to them on the podcast too, if they would be interested in doing that.

Gene: 29:46

They have some history because of the school. And but I'll let them tell that story. 

Mike: 29:54

Yes, i look forward to that. Are there any other stories that you'd like to share, anything that we haven't covered? 

Gene: 30:03

I think that pretty much covers most of it. Yeah, We just enjoy being here, we enjoy helping people and giving back to the community. Being so lucky myself to be here and to make a life for myself and my family, I have a wife and a daughter and I have a brother. He helps out sometimes. 

Mike: 30:29

Nice, keeping it a family business, right 

Gene: 30:33

Correct. Yeah, yeah. 

Mike: 30:34

So do you have any plans as far as kind of the future of the business is? Do you think your daughter is going to take this on in the future? 

Gene: 30:45

I don't believe so. I think that her tastes are in the hair industry.  She went to school and is working up to that. And my wife is a hairdresser. My brother is very involved with appliances as well. He has his own little handyman business, but when I need extra help, he's very helpful in giving me a hand here and there, cause today it's tough to get qualified employees that know appliances. 

Mike: 31:17

Yeah, and that level of service too, right? To keep the quality of service up as well. Yeah, and you can trust family. That's good. 

Gene: 31:25

Correct. Yes, I have a very good family. There were six of us: three girls and three boys. My parents had their hands full. And they raised us independently. They had to. 

Mike: 31:38

Wow, that's a big family. Right And on top of the big family, like owning a small business. And keeping that running. 

Gene: 31:44

Correct. 

Mike: 31:45

Wow, yeah, what an inspiration to grow up in that arena too, yeah. 

Gene: 31:54

Absolutely. There's lots of stories there, from when I was short. Some of the places that we service department stores, they see this refrigerator going down the aisle and the manager's going, “What in the world is that?” Goes around and sees me pushing a refrigerator down the aisle and says something to somebody, and they told me to put the refrigerator down and they asked the manager to go ahead and bring it over and roll it. And he couldn't do it. And they say, okay, go ahead, junior, grab it and go. I'd bring it over and go with it. Guy just kept his mouth quiet and walked away. I was probably about 13. 

Mike: 32:38

Wow, Yeah, that would be quite the sight. But if you've got a dolly or hand truck and you know what you're doing. That's what counts. 

Gene: 32:50

It's how you do it, so it’s the technique behind it. Sometimes it's not how strong you are, or sometimes you do things a certain way and that makes it work, versus just trying to pick it up and hurt your back. 

Mike: 33:12

That's such a cool way to grow up, too, cause you basically had this skill set that was passed on to you, right? You just trained just by being with family, essentially. 

Gene: 33:18

Oh, yeah. I worked around it since I was six years old. Took a couple of things here the way along. My parents wanted me to get a feel of other types of jobs, so I worked a few other places and decided that this was my niche. And it helped a lot of people, which I like to do. 

Mike: 33:38

Yeah, what other types of jobs did you do back at that time? 

Gene: 33:43

I worked for Disney for a short time. 

Mike: 33:45

Oh, wow. 

Gene: 33:46

And I worked for a mobile oil gas station. And I worked for Wendy's for a short amount of time And then I decided the appliances was my take on life. 

Mike: 34:02

It gives you an appreciation, too, for different parts of the service industry, right? having those jobs. 

Gene: 34:09

Correct. And then my parents wanted me to respect other businesses and also do good for the community and the people and make it to where they can trust you. When you do stuff for them and you get paid that you give them their money's worth. And it was just hard today to do that because things are so expensive. Even the prices changed so quickly. You know, you just paid this for that and it went up 20, 30 percent, right, but we try. And customers are very grateful that we're here and we help out with cardboard for the school events and all this to do all their stuff. And the people on the lake that do their boats, you know, made out of material with cardboard And it's kind of cool. So you know they know where to get cardboard. We just had a school call today and needed a cardboard refrigerator box. 

Mike: 35:06

I love that. That is so cool, so kind of a little recycling, yeah, and those relationships too, are things that you would only get in a community like this. That's not going to happen at box stores at all, right. 

Gene: 35:18

No. If you ask them for a box, they look at you and say no. 

Mike: 35:22

Yeah, that violates some policy or something. Right, correct, yeah. 

Gene: 35:27

So we save some up. So when that happens, somebody forgets the last minute and they call us will even a box, something to give them the box. But we just have a few things hidden back in and our store is pretty crowded. But yeah, we've been here a long time and we're kind of busting to the seams. 

Mike: 35:44

You make great use of the space though It, you can tell it's a very busy working shop, right, Oh right, Right. And you've got some relics here too. I see some some older appliances that you don't see around. 

Gene: 35:57

Right, i have a 1932 globe top refrigerator which is square. It looks like a basketball on top. It was called a globe top by GE. It's got the handles, got the feet, got the thermometer in it still And I plug it in once in a while let it run. Yeah, it cools fine. Wow, you know. And on the old stove a couple of other pieces here and there. A customer brings me a copper tone stove wall oven from the 50s. Yeah, And so you know we have a few little things sitting around that reminds us the way it was Right. 

Mike: 36:32

And yeah, things that were built with quality in mind, too right That they. The fact that they still run after all, this time too, is amazing. 

Gene: 36:41

Absolutely. 

Mike: 36:42

And it shows you that it can be done. you know, That is correct. It's, it's good, it's a good reminder. I feel like it. Just I think we can get a little cynical with how things are made sometimes these days, to be very disposable and built in obsolescence And you know, especially with our phones, with our smartphones and the fact that we can't hang on to them for the life of them. 

Gene: 37:07

You know it's like it doesn't need to be that way And I actually just the other day came across my first phone, which is a brick phone, and I remember being in the truck somewhere and I was talking to G corporate And she says, are you in a playground? And I said no, the playground for the school was over a thousand, two thousand feet away and she could hear me through that brick phone. Wow, today I have art. Can you hear me? Can you hear me? Yeah, and move locations, can you hear me? So there's a lot to be said about the old technology and the new technology. 

Mike: 37:44

There is. Yeah, it's funny how our phones are. kind of their worst function is being a phone itself. I've found Right, right, they're great at all these other things. They take awesome photos and, yeah, they're, they're very handy super computers, but when it comes to having a conversation on the phone, it's. It doesn't really work that well. The clarity, yeah. 

Gene: 38:09

That phone was great, you know. It just just got outdated, yeah, but I still have it, it still exists. 

Mike: 38:15

Yeah, yeah, probably would still work if you were able to connect it to a network too. Right, right, i have all the accessories still to it. That's cool. Yeah, i think that there's a lot of value to hanging on to those things that that bring back those memories too. It's like memory is so important And I think history is so important. It teaches us so much. And just learning from people who have seen a lot of changes and have that information and have that those experiences that that we wonder about. You know it's hard to relate to homes not having air conditioning. 

Gene: 38:51

Right, because we were. We were big into air conditioning. We did wall or window units throughout Orlando, all over the place, big time, a lot of them. I installed an. I used to install TV antennas called the Orlando special two, six and nine And I put a lot of those up because we did TV stereos back then And I put up a lot of antennas in Orlando. Wow, it is. It is amazing what we went through then And now it all is all airwaves. Yeah, through the new technology. 

Mike: 39:24

Yeah, the like the access to information. Then I was I was just talking to somebody earlier who really doesn't remember pre Internet age. You know, and all of the young adults now and future generations will always remember the Internet as long as it doesn't go away for some reason, which is wild. You know, like my generation is kind of one of the last ones that will be around like way in the future that will remember that the before times, the pre Internet age, right. 

Gene: 39:54

And I think one of the starts of that was beepers, or pagers, that was big. 

Mike: 40:02

Yes, I actually had one in college, maybe high school. 

Gene: 40:07

Absolutely. I had one all the time because when the boss beeped me I had to go find a phone. 

Mike: 40:14

Right to pay for. That is Yeah, and that was. That was the beginning of that always being available right? always being reachable 

Gene: 40:23

Correct. They know you got the message, so you got to give them a call. 

Mike: 40:27

Yeah, it's the beginning of us being tethered and we were never, we're never offline, ever since that. 

Gene: 40:37

Absolutely. 

Mike: 40:39

Well, Gene, thank you so much for your time. This has really been a pleasure and again, thank you for everything that you've done for the neighborhood. Your website willardappliances.com?

Gene: 40:51

Basically yes. 

Mike: 40:53

OK, if you Google willard appliances you will find it. It's just that easy. It's been a pleasure. Thank you so much. We'll see you around. 

Gene: 

Ok, thank you.

Outro:

Hello APGD  a neighborhood podcast, is brought to you in part by Stardust Video and Coffee, Audubon Park's beloved neighborhood cafe, bakery bar and meeting place located at 1842 East Winter Park Road. We're also sponsored by Redlight. Redlight Brew Pub, founded in 2005,. Redlight is widely known as the source for world class imports and microbrews, a wide selection of natural wines plus award winning beers brewed in house. A full kitchen is in the works with an amazing menu by Chef Jes Tantalo, located at 2810 Corrine Drive. Please check out Redlight for all things beer and wine, and soon food. Our theme song is by Christopher Pierce, and special thanks to Tre Hester for all of his help in making this podcast a reality. We do hope you enjoyed this episode. If so, please click subscribe and leave a review if you'd like. We'll see you next time.