Kalona

Grand Appliance in Kalona opened in February and held a soft opening at that time.

Grand Appliance and The Appliance Barn officially merged in July 2025. Prior to the merger, Appliance Barn owner Brylee Miller purchased the former CIVCO building after the company relocated.

Merging stores

According to Grand Appliance CEO Arnish Gauri, discussions with The Appliance Barn began around September 2024.

Gauri explained how the two sides were already familiar with one another before the merger.

“Yeah, it’s a pretty small community of independent appliance dealers, especially in the Midwest, so we’ve crossed paths at events like Whirlpool gatherings. We were familiar with each other from that, and then Brylee eventually reached out to us.”

He added that the barn-style design on the storefront was intentional. “We decided to put a barn-style front on the building as a nod to the Appliance Barn—without directly copying it.”

After CIVCO moved out, Miller purchased the building, which helped lead to the partnership with Grand Appliance.

“Brylee purchased the building, and we worked out a lease, so it’s a win-win—he wants his tenant to succeed, and it’s been a great fit for both of us. We’re in 31 communities and make it a priority to give back, whether through our foundation or local support, because being part of the community is important to who we are as a family-run business.”

Grand opening celebration

The store held its grand opening last Thursday, which included a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Following that, a celebration featured food, refreshments and activities for kids. Food vendors included Flamin’ Flip BBQ, cupcakes from Best of Iowa and cookies from Golden Delight Bakery.

According to store manager Kari Heuinkveld, an estimated 700 to 800 people attended the event.

Grand Appliance team

Before the ribbon cutting, Gauri expressed appreciation for both the Appliance Barn team and the community.

“First, I want to thank Brylee Miller—who I met about a year and a half ago—for trusting us to become part of your community. We’re truly grateful.”

“From all of us, thank you to Kalona and everyone here for welcoming us. We’re excited to continue the Grand Appliance legacy in the communities we serve.”

Heuinkveld also shared her gratitude. “Thank you to everyone here for believing in us and welcoming us—especially as new faces in Amish country—as we’ve worked together to build a store the whole area can enjoy. This was truly a team effort, and I want to thank everyone who made it possible, especially our sales team for continuing to take great care of our customers.”

Grand Appliance

The company’s corporate offices are located in Sturtevant, Wisconsin. With the Kalona opening, Grand Appliance now operates 31 locations, including three in Iowa: Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Kalona.

The Kalona store is the company’s largest showroom in the state. “The retail space is 22,500 square feet, with the remaining area used primarily for storage.”

The company also operates a distribution center in Durant, Iowa.

During the grand opening, Gauri highlighted a unique feature inside the showroom. “These are actually washing machine tubs that we’ve turned into light fixtures—it’s something we’ve done in four or five of our stores. We added LED lighting inside and painted them an oil-rubbed bronze to match the bar.”

When entering the store, visitors are greeted by a vintage truck from the 1930s, dating back to when Grand Appliance was founded. Gauri said the vehicle came from Wisconsin and was transported to the Kalona location.

Location

Grand Appliance in Kalona is open six days a week and is located at 102 First Street.