Direct Appliance

Jack & Cyl Ugar wanted a mom-and-pop appliance store when they first opened Direct Maytag Home Appliance Center on McHenry Avenue in 1995. The store started in the smallest space of the store strip, roughly 2500 square feet filled with Maytag only. “Something simple, but with quality that meets the needs of Modesto,” they said to their one employee at the time, Ron Winter. “The only thing that really remains the same as 1995 is our dedication to meeting the needs of the many communities we now serve with quality products,” says Winter, current CEO and partner who incorporated Modesto Direct Appliance after the Ugars each passed 20 years ago. “I do not think Jack & Cyl would recognize the 22,000 square foot showroom experience store we’ve created today, but I really believe they would be proud.”