WHO WE ARE & WHAT WE DO
APPLIANCES ~ ELECTRONICS ~ INTEGRATION
Bekins is a local, family-owned, internationally acclaimed appliance and electronics company in West Michigan. It started as a service company in 1975 when Harvey and Barbara Bekins started their own appliance repair business out of their home in Grand Haven. We still view ourselves as a service company today, but now we also sell, install and service both appliances and electronics across West Michigan.
Their son, Scott, started in the business as an 8-year-old holding the flashlight for his father. Scott rolled in the first appliances when Harvey and Barb opened our Grand Haven showroom in 1982. After Scott bought the company from his parents, Bekins started offering custom electronic services then expanded with another state-of-the-art, interactive showroom in Grand Rapids.
In 2015, we built a state-of-the-art Warehouse and Service Center in Coopersville to not only better serve our customers, but also facilitate the best training for our employees. We employ the most certified staff, including CEDIA and HTA Certified Estate electronics experts. CE Pro ranked us the number one custom electronics company in the state for seven consecutive years.
We invite everyone to visit our showrooms in Grand Haven and Grand Rapids. Not only can you try appliances and electronics before you buy them, they are displayed in real home environments designed by our local partners. Bekins is a great place to get design inspiration for your next kitchen or home electronics project.
Honors
In all, Bekins has earned more than 21 national and international honors. That does not include our Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Ethics or our Grand Haven Tribune People’s Choice Award for Best Appliances (17 years and counting!).
Awards & Rankings
Learn MoreService
How do we recommend the right appliances? We run more than 10,000 service calls each year. We see what works best in someone’s home, what needs the most service and which companies will support our service team.
Michigan’s Greenest Appliance Dealer!
We are most proud of our efforts to improve our community. We recycle more than 90 percent of all waste in our facilities. Bekins donates more than 10 percent to local charities each year, and Bekins employees organize collections for local charities throughout the year.
HISTORY
FAMILY. INTEGRITY. SERVICE.
In October of 1975, Harvey Bekins used his 27 years of appliance repair experience to found his own repair business: Bekins Appliance Service.
He operated it from his home and around a few simple principles: Family • Excellent Service • Integrity
In a few short years, the repair business flourished enough for Harvey to open a full appliance retail store. With a focus on customer service and investing in our local community, Bekins continued to grow. Now under the ownership of Harvey’s son, Scott Bekins, the company earns international acclaim.
TIMELINEEvents 1975-1991
October 8th, 1975 – Harvey and Barbara Bekins open Bekins Appliance Service from their home on their son Scott’s 8th birthday. Repair service includes all major appliances. Harvey spent the previous 27 years fixing appliances for Cook’s Appliance.
November 1, 1982 – Bekins Appliance opens a retail store at 735 Washington Avenue in downtown Grand Haven.
April 19, 1986 – A Grand Reopening welcomes the community to experience Bekins new expansion, the first of many additions and remodels. The shop closes for a group photo of Bekins supporters.
July 1988 – Scott Bekins takes over operations of Bekins Appliance.
March 1989 – Barb, Harvey and the rest of the Bekins family celebrate Bekins Appliance’s 7th anniversary. Scott Bekins gets local publicity for attending a week-long management seminar by Whirlpool.
September 1989 – Bekins adds electronics to its offerings. It starts with Hitachi, Sharp, Zenith and Kenwood brands. The products included televisions, VCRs, stereo systems and camcorders.
April 1991 – In response to popular demand for car stereo installation, Bekins Appliance converts a portion of its space into a car stereo installation garage, offering a wide range of car stereo electronics and installation services.
March 1991 – Bekins installs its first “TV wall” in the showroom.
Events 1992-2005
1993 – Bekins Appliance joins the Custom Electronics Design & Installation Association (CEDIA). Bekins stops selling car stereos but uses the space and installers to enter the emerging Custom Home Electronics business. CEDIA has since recognized Bekins with more than a dozen international awards.
1995 – Bekins wins an “Innovative Showroom” award from the North American Retail Dealers of America (NARDA). The award recognizes Bekins for its groundbreaking “live” display of appliances. You can still test out almost all of the appliances in any Bekins showrooms today.
1996 – Barb and Harvey Bekins along with their 13 grandchildren celebrate Bekins 21st anniversary with a community celebration.
March 1997 – Bekins receives a visit from the President of Yamaha.
1999 – Scott Bekins purchases Bekins Appliance from Harvey and Barbara Bekins.
May 1999 – Bekins receives local publicity for its expertise in state-of-the-art high definition television technology.
October 2000 – Bekins receives national recognition in Audio Video Interiors. The magazine highlights Bekins work with a custom hidden media room, home theater and automated home.
September 2003 – Audio Video Interiors features Bekins again, highlighting a custom Home Theater.
2004 – Customer service guru John Bolger cites an encounter with Bekins Appliance in his nationally published book, “I Wish Someone Would Have Told Me”, as an example of great service.
2004 – Bekins win "Best Appliances" in the first annual Grand Haven Tribune People's Choice Awards. Bekins continues to earn the top honor every year.
2005 – Bekins celebrates 30 years of service with a staff of 30 employees.
Events 2006-Early 2012
2007 – Bekins receives its first CEDIA award: SILVER Best Technical Design for Hidden Installation.
2008 – Bekins receives CEDIA’s GOLD Best Technical Design for Large Home Theater.
2011 – Lutron names Bekins a Bronze Award winner for Best Retrofit Project.
October 2011 – Bekins Appliance dominates CEDIA’s annual awards by winning:
- Best Overall Design for Media Room
- Best Overall Design for Hidden Installation
- SILVER Best Technical Design for Integrated Home
- SILVER Best Technical Design for Media Room
- GOLD Best Technical Design for Hidden Installation
April 2012 – The company updates its branding, including a new logo.
May 2012 – Leading Custom Electronics association CEPro ranks Bekins #58 in the US and #1 in Michigan. CE Pro continues to rank Bekins #1 in the state of Michigan and within the top 60 nationally each year.
August 2012 – Bekins completes the last of more than 18 remodels and additions to its Grand Haven store. The interior and exterior receive an extensive makeover. The addition covers the last available space.
Events Late 2012-Early 2015
October 2012 – Bekins wins a silver CEDIA award for “Best Technical Design for Integrated Home”.
October 2012 – Bekins wins “Most Extreme Makeover” at the Crestron Integration Awards.
December 5, 2012 - Bekins expands its retail presence by opening a state-of-the-art showroom in Grand Rapids featuring the very best products in displays which mirror a real home environment.
2013 – Bekins opens another showroom in Grand Rapids, Builders Appliance, allowing customers to see popular brands grouped together at “builder pricing.”
2013 – Bekins receives CEDIA GOLD Best Technical Design for Integrated Home and CEDIA SILVER Technical Design for Media Room.
May 2014 – CE Pro ranks Bekins #38 in the U.S. and once again #1 in the state of Michigan. The leading Custom Electronics publication continues to rank Bekins #1 in Michigan and among the top 50 nationally each year.
March 2015 – Bekins moves its warehouse and operations facility to a new, state-of-the-art location in Coopersville. The 38,000 square feet are built to make Bekins more efficient and helps the company recycle more 90 percent of all waste.
2015 – Bekins celebrates its 40 year anniversary with almost 100 employees.
June 2015 – Founder Harvey Bekins retires on his 81st birthday. Many customers attend a community open house to congratulate Harvey for his 40 years with Bekins and 67 total years of serving the community.
Events Late 2015-Today
2015 – Bekins wins ProSource Innovator of the Year honors.
2016 – Bekins is a CEDIA Finalist for Best Media Room and Best Showroom.
2017 – Bekins wins BrandSource Dealer of the Year, recognizing Bekins as the best BrandSource Dealer in Michigan for marketplace leadership along with dedicated service to customers and community.
2018 – Bekins wins Retailer of the Year with the Coopersville Chamber of Commerce.
2018 – Bekins expands its Warehouse and Service Center in Coopersville by 30,000 square feet. The expansion nearly doubles the size of the building, makes Bekins more efficient, accommodates the company’s growing staff and leaves room for more growth within the company.
2018 – Bekins is a CEDIA Finalist for "Best Integrated Home."
2018 – Bekins wins the Better Business Bureau Torch Award for Ethics.
2019 – Bekins is recognized by Corp! Magazine as a "Michigan Economic Bright Spot."
2019 – Creston Technology Professionals name Bekins an “Elite Pro.”
2019 – Bekins expands its Grand Rapids showroom by 3,000 square feet to make room for its Builders Appliance Center displays. All Grand Rapids appliance displays are now shown in the 11,000 square feet showroom.
2019 – BrandSource creates a National Appliance Service Committee chaired by Scott Bekins, to establish best practices and guidelines for independent appliance servicers across the nation.
2020 – The Grand Haven showroom remodels its TV Room and Audio Room into a single Design Inspiration Room for electronics. The room shows customers various ways to integrate technology into their home’s décor and meets the increasing demand to display more appliances in the Grand Haven showroom.
2020 – The Home Technology Association names Bekins a Best In The U.S. Technology Integrator in the Black Tier. The HTA states firms in the Black Tier must be “at the top of their game” in order to serve clients with projects that are “extremely custom” and “very complex.”
2020 – The Grand Rapids Home Builders Association names Bekins a finalist for “Best Showroom” during their Awards of Excellence.
2020 – Bekins earns Advanced Membership status with CEDIA.
2021 – Bekins becomes only the second company in the United States to earn CEDIA’s Member of Excellence. CEDIA says: “Only those firms that exhibit dedication to continuing education, customer service, and community outreach, as well as a record of award-winning craftsmanship and a dedication to advanced industry certifications are bestowed this singular title: It’s our way of making sure the best really do rise to the top.
SURROUNDING CITIES
We proudly serve the areas of Grand Haven, Grand Rapids, Holland, Muskegon, Kalamazoo, Battle Creek, Lansing, Rockford, Wyoming and Kentwood in Michigan.