Frazee family transitioning DL service shop in 2025

By Robert Williams

Editor

Janke’s Sew & Vac, Inc., has been a staple in Detroit Lakes since 1988 run by the Frazee-based Janke family and as of January 1, the business will be changing hands but staying in the family as Justin and Amy Gress have taken over from Jeff and Chris Janke.

Jeff got his start in the vacuum business in 1981 working for Kirby when he was 21-years-old, eventually taking over a branch office in Fergus Falls.

“That’s where this started,” he said.

Jeff’s office was what he described as a “little 250 square foot hole in the wall.”

That was actually an improvement as he had been selling Kirby belts out of the trunk of his car prior to that. 

Jeff’s next step was a promotion to an area dealer with Kirby. 

“Kirby always told me there was never any money in service; they were more about selling,” he said.

Regardless, Jeff always had the thought that somebody had to service the machines.

“And it just so happened, I was very good at what I did,” he said.

Over time, he and Chris decided to make the move back to the area from Fergus Falls.

“We’re from Frazee and we were here every weekend so we decided that we should just move back,” Jeff said.

Jeff quickly noticed the storefront at 525 Washington Avenue and the family rented the space for $260 per month that included heat and electricity. 

“We moved in here in 1988 and wages were maybe $4 an hour,” he said. “We were doing $9.95 cleanup and service and we were making money. They need a fan; they need a brush roll and I kept advertising week after week. I just really pushed every week when one would end another would start and we got to be a household name.”

3:37In 1993, Janke’s moved across Main Street to 607 Washington Avenue after discussing the building with then-owner Mark Hagen. 

“We had more room; the only thing is when you get more room you get more clutter,” Janke said. “We were there for about the next 10 years.”

The Janke’s added the sewing side of the business in 1996 after meeting a local Bill Peterson, 89, who fixed sewing machines out of his house.

“He turned around and said, ‘Jeff, I think you should be in the sewing machine business,’ and at that time I never thought anything about it.”

Peterson visited often for an hour or two and trained Jeff how to repair sewing machines.

“His favorite saying was when a sewing machine came in, “oh, what a puzzle,” Jeff laughed. “He made it really fun.”

Peterson formerly worked for Blow’s Sew-N-Vac in Fargo dating back to the 1960’s.

“He always told me when you get a new line of sewing machines you get a good one that you can service,” said Jeff. “That’s what we did.”

Janke gave Peterson a way for his legacy to continue as nobody in the Peterson family had an interest in continuing Peterson’s repair business. 

“He wanted his legacy to continue and it was through me that he could and now I’m doing the same thing through my kids,” said Jeff. 

There has been a small circle of repairmen and dealers in both the vacuum and sewing industries and Jeff and Chris’ time spent in the business brought them together with many, including Dave Mattson of University Vacuums Plus in Fargo.

“There was always that feeling of camaraderie between all of the dealers,” Chris said. “It’s not ‘I can do better than you.’ They all worked together doing the same thing and they helped each other as a support system.”

“You always have to have some kind of a mentor that understands the business,” said Jeff.

In 2022, the family decided to move back across the street to their original location where they remain today.

“It was time to downsize,” Jeff said.

A knee replacement surgery was on the horizon as well, so they had a going out of business-type sale to move out inventory.

“When you’re laid up and out of work you don’t get paid and I tell you what, it was like somebody lit a match,” said Jeff. “We had people coming in and stocking up. They didn’t realize our intention was to downsize and move here. They heard the part about going out of business but they didn’t realize I was coming back. I had to liquidate a bunch of our inventory and it was only for three months.”

While they weren’t going out of business, the scare for their customers was real then and into the future.

“The big question was what if you retire?” said Jeff.

That question started a conversation with Jeff and Chris’ daughter Amy and her husband Justin.

“They said they’d like to try it and I thought it would be a good opportunity for them; it’s already an established business,” Jeff said. “A single family in this business can do quite well. It’s not designed where you’re going to hire a bunch of employees.”

Over the past few years, Jeff had noticed some silent questioning from their customers. They did not come out and say it but why would they buy a vacuum cleaner if Jeff and Chris were going to obviously retire soon. Where would they get their filters, bags and service?

Justin and Amy stepping up to take over has relieved Jeff of his full-time duties, Chris of her bookkeeping duties and brought a calm over the business continuing in good hands.

“I’m proud that we can pass this on and it really gives comfort to our customers,” said Jeff. “They come in and they’re just tickled that there is somebody here. Justin is such a people person; he gets along with just about anybody and Amy, she likes to sell.”

“And I love to fix stuff and DIY stuff, so this is right up my alley,” Amy said. “I like to take something and make it work.”

The repair and service side of the business is also important to the Janke’s in keeping an environmentally-conscious company going.

“I tell people all the time over 40 million vacuums ended up in our landfills last year,” said Amy. “It is because of the throw away society that we live in. If something breaks, we throw it away. Let’s fix what we have.”

For Jeff, that stretches to the brands they carry and the company backgrounds.

“We don’t sell any of the stuff you see at Walmart and Target,” said Jeff.

One of the vacuum brands found at Janke’s is Sebo, a company that shares the environmentally conscious part of their brand.

“They use mostly recycled plastic; water to run the boilers that operate the machinery; recycle all the unbleached paper and cardboard and use it for the packing and boxes and natural light for the factory so they do all of their production during daylight hours,” said Jeff. “Even the deliveries are carefully planned so that they are at peak capacity. They won’t leave unless they’re full.”

Unlike many contemporary vacuums which are unrepairable the German-based Sebo line has a full parts list available and according to the Janke’s have been in use at the White House, Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle.

“They come from a commercial background; those machines are really well built and they have a lifetime belt,” Jeff said. “They’re not all about replacing your vacuum. For the homeowner, they have a 10-year motor, 10-year non-wire parts and 7 years labor and they’re the only one that will pay us any labor reimbursement.”

The Janke’s have seen a big dip in other company’s customer service and service to dealers, a lack of representation to dealers and how throw away vacuums have become the norm after COVID.

“I feel like we have to have the company’s support; that’s what has happened at the other companies,” said Jeff. “They don’t care. They’re looking at numbers.”

“For us to stand behind a company and really sell their products we need to feel supported as well,” said Amy. 

Justin and Amy moved from Fargo to Chaska working as paraprofessionals in the Wayzata School District where they stayed for a decade.

On a lunch break, Amy got a message from Jeff asking if they were interested in taking over the business.

“We talked about it and at first I was really scared because it’s so hard to learn; there is so much to learn,” Amy said. “We wanted to move back to the area to be around family. We were like, you know what, let’s just take a chance. Let’s just do it. I knew it was a well-established business. He’s been here for a long time. People know the name. We’re not going to have an opportunity like this again.”

Jeff’s knee and a back problem had sped up the retirement discussion so Justin, Amy and three of their four children moved to Moorhead last summer. Their son Nicholas stayed in the cities to finish his senior year of high school before attending the University of Minnesota.

“We always wanted to move back to the area,” said Justin. “When do we do it and why do we do it and how? This opportunity came along and there is a value that not many people know how to do and what a way to get back into this community than provide a service for them.”

“I ended up being a sub at the schools and every other week I would come here and I would watch and learn,” Amy said.

The learning process was dictated by whatever came in for repair that day.

“My biggest thing was when we first took over and he went in for his back surgery was for our customers to please be patient with us,” said Amy. “It might take us a bit longer to get your repair done because I have to call him.”

“We learned a lot during that period and Jeff’s an excellent teacher,” said Justin. “He said the person that taught him always had time and Jeff always has time and I’m sure there’s been times he’s like they just don’t get it but he doesn’t show it.”

One thing that has surprised both Justin and Amy is seeing firsthand what working with someone who has been doing a job for decades becomes. For instance, Amy mentioned a customer’s name who was on the phone and Jeff immediately can rattle off their names, spouse’s name, what vacuum they bought, the model, when they purchased it, etc.

“I’m like how do you remember that?” Amy said. “It’ll come.”

“I can be walking here and all of a sudden somebody says, ‘I have to bring my sewing machine in,’ I didn’t say a word,” Jeff laughed. “You build this relationship with people and the thing is they trust you. When they come in here there’s no high pressure.”

One of the first things Amy did when taking over the business was poll customers and clients on Facebook about the store’s location and if the company would be better served relocating to a larger building elsewhere in town.

The pressure she got from the responses was a simple stay put.

“I was actually really surprised,” she said.

There are some upgrades Justin and Amy are bringing to the space that customers will enjoy. They offer no interest Afterpay and what Amy called bringing the shop into the “electronic age.”

All the while, they are sticking with old school services that are currently offered like layaway and free pickup and delivery in town.

Chris and Jeff are still very fresh into retirement and the adjustment to a quieter lifestyle is going to take a while, especially for Jeff who has been on the front line of the business almost a half century.

“He’s a lifer!” said Amy.

“We welcome him here,” Justin laughed.

“This is kind of my home,” said Jeff. “I’m just so comfortable here.”

“My biggest thing is I just want people to know we’re here and we’ll do whatever we can to service your vacuum and sewing machines,” Amy said. 

Amy admitted that while Jeff is around the business is going to still be his. Decisions she and Justin make will always be run by him. Janke’s Sew & Vac is staying in the family but it’s family first when it comes to running it.

“I just want to do good,” she said. “Provide really good service and I want to make him proud. Our thing has always been we sell the best and service the rest.”