Going to High School in Weiser Idaho in the mid 1970’s, Jim Griffith became infatuated with communications to the point that one of his employers and mentors recommended he go to college for Electronics. So, what did the young man do? He went to college for Ag Education!
That didn’t stop the inevitable from happening however, so 1979 found him a co-owner of D&J Electronics, doing repair and sales of consumer electronics in North Central Idaho. Company growth ended up with a split of the retail from service aspect of the business and D&J Sales Inc. was relocated and eventually sold to a competitor.
The sale of D&J Sales resulted in the request that Jim get back into the Satellite TV Business, rapidly followed by the opening of Jim Griffith Co. in 1988. The company expanded its service into business telephone systems and due to Griffith’s relationship to the building materials industry, installed insulation sales.
In 1993 the building materials yard sold to Lumbermens Building Centers and in 1994 Griffith agreed to stay on in the Branch Manager Position. In 1995 a Griffith opened a store within a store by adding a Radio Shack Franchise to the lumberyard. What a perfect fit in a small community since who is more in need of new electronics than someone just building a new house or remodeling an existing one! The success of this venture led to the assets of Jim Griffith Company being sold to Lumbermen’s in 1996.
Thanksgiving of 2002 found the Griffith family driving past the Radio Shack in Ontario and Jim remarked to his wife “If that store ever came up for sale, it might be reason enough to move back to the Treasure Valley and nearer to family, but I am sure Mary will never sell it” (Griffith was familiar with the Ontario store due to Radio Shack affiliation of the store opened inside the lumberyard) Imagine the surprise when in late December a store with the features much like the Ontario location ended up for sale.