To be perfectly frank, in 1934, the Frank family began serving people in Bowling Green and it has
continued to serve for 85 years since.
The focus of the business at Frank Sales Inc., and the location, has changed over the years but the
emphasis continues to be service.
Homer and Mildred “Wid” Frank opened a gasoline station and truck stop restaurant at the corner of South
Main Street and Gypsy Lane Road in Bowling Green.
Their current building at 891 S. Main St. was built in 1946 and at that time, the focus of the business
expanded and the diner eventually closed in 1972. Willys and Hudson new cars were sold in the 1940s and
1950s and the now dominant appliance line was added in 1948.
The business is currently owned and operated by Homer’s grandson, Dana Frank. He is the president and is
the third generation succeeding his father, Warner “J.R.,” who took over as president in 1983 following
Homer’s retirement.
Dana’s son, Chris, is now the vice president and operates the company’s store in Port Clinton.
Dana Frank shared the story of how the Port Clinton store came into existence in 1988.
“I had a boat and would go there regularly. We had a lot of our customers from Bowling Green who had
places there and would want items delivered there when I was going. I ended up spending so much time
with deliveries and service my wife (Wanda) finally said, ‘Either sell the boat or get a store.’ We
opened a store,” he said.
That Port Clinton site is about the same size as the original and is also well-established in that
community.
“After 30 years, it is well-established there,” Dana Frank said. “It’s also a full-service store.”
Thinking back, Frank said there was never any question he wanted to follow in the line of succession of
his ancestors.
“I remember when I was little and my grandfather dragging up to the store with him. I loved it,” he said.
“Now my grandson is 15 and he is showing interest in the business.”
Frank said that he was qualified to go out and do repairs on appliances before he had his driver’s
license.
“They used to pay someone to drive me to the service calls.”
People often ask if retirement in his future and Frank quickly dismisses the idea.
“It’s a passion, and though my wife has retired, I still want to be here. I still love it.”
He said the passion is driven by the fun he has helping people.
Andrea Blasius is the general manager at the Bowling Green store and she has shared the same passion
throughout 19 years with the business. She is among the 22 staff, including sales and service people, at
the business.
The service department is important for the business as the company has built a strong reputation on
servicing the products they sell.
“We use service to facilitate that new product,” Dana said.
Both he and Blasius talked about how the appliances have changed over the years, with most of the new
appliances equipped with “smart technology.”
Blasius said Whirlpool now has Google assist paired with most of its appliances. Use an app to check on
the appliances, turn them on and off or do other tasks.
She also said that the new washers have large storage for laundry detergent that automatically measures
the required amount of detergent needed for the size of a load.