Barclifts powering up Longs at Pioneer Electric
From left to right, Nehemiah Long, Elsherie Long, Ruby Long, Frankia long, Leta Barclift, Tim Barclift and faithful companion Bandit at Pioneer Electric, 423 E. 2nd St., downtown The Dalles. The Longs are purchasing Pioneer Electric appliance store from the Barclifts and look forward to meeting new friends and learning about the different communities of the Columbia Gorge.
By Tom Peterson
There was some buzz at The Dalles Seventh Day Adventist Church about a year ago.
Leta and Tim Barclift were looking for a family to take over their business, Pioneer Electric, at 423 E. 2nd.
The couple has owned the appliance store since 2012.
“Leta said they were getting ready to retire, and they wanted to sell it to a family that wanted to teach their kids about the business and loving God,” said Frankia Long, a life-long resident of The Dalles. He remembers Leta talking about the opportunity that day in church.
“I was thinking, ‘wait, that’s me,’” Frankia said. “I got really excited.”
Frankia has been on the road for years plumbing for Portland’s Caliber Plumbing and Mechanical. It’s a good job, and he likes the company.
But it requires a lot of travel. For the past year, Frankia has been in Ontario repiping an affordable housing project.
“But this opportunity is going to keep us together,” he said, noting Caliber was very supportive of their decision to buy Pioneer Electric.
“The wife and I and the kids will all be closer.”
Frankia and his wife Elsherie had lived in Beaverton and then Hillsboro for several years before returning to The Dalles in 2015.
The Longs have a lot of family in The Dalles, and they grew up and were raised with their cousins. The couple wanted the same for their kids.
And why not pass a good work ethic along the way?
Their son, Nehemiah, 13 and daughter, Ruby, 9, just got their new Pioneer work shirts.
“They’re ready to take over,” Elsherie said laughing.
On Thursday, Ruby, Tim and Frankia had just delivered a range, refrigerator, microwave and dishwasher to a new home in Grass Valley. That’s a full meal deal.
“It’s nice to see all these little communities,” Frankia said.
“This is new for my husband and I”, said Elsherie who previously worked graveyard at mental health agency ColumbiaCare Services. “Tim and Leta are helping us out. We’ve been coming in and learning the business and all the processes at the store” for the past six months. And Leta has agreed to continue mentoring from time to time in the shop.
The couple plan on keeping the business mostly the same with one little change - they are going to update the name to Pioneer Appliance.
Here is a look at the Long’s new business card and logo that accompanies the slight change from Pioneer Electric to Pioneer Appliance.
“We wanted to be business owners,” Elsherie said, “to own our own company and be our own bosses and have something to hand down to the kids.”
“They’re the perfect little family for this,” Leta said.
Frankia and Elsherie, The Dalles High School class of 2006, are in their early thirties and are looking forward to getting to know the community better.
There’s a lot to know.
Deliveries can range from Grass Valley to Hood River. And from Goldendale to Carson.
“I’ve met thousands of new people over the years,” said Tim. “This is a great chance to get to know people in the community.”
Leta, who previously worked at the Northern Wasco County People’s Utility District for 13 years, said she used her retirement from the PUD to purchase the business. And six years ago, Tim started working full-time at the shop after leaving Walmart.
“He had four deliveries on his first day,” Leta remembered.
Full Disclosure - I have pet Bandit at least a 1,000 times and Tim and Leta have delivered a fridge and washing machine to our house - up 14 stairs mind you. All Good. Everybody still has 10 fingers and 10 toes.
And business is generally up. Sales have tripled since other appliance stores such as Sears and Paddocks Appliance in Hood River have closed, she said.
“I can’t get over how people wanted to support small businesses,” Leta said. “It’s been wonderful. Thanks to everyone - individuals and property managers - for all the support, especially during the pandemic.”
And there is one other major change. Bandit, the family dog, is of course heading out with Tim and Leta to their home in Goldendale, where he gets to bark at the “big doggies” better known as cows.
But the Longs have Ozzie - an Australian Shepherd puppy, that will likely be on staff in a few months.
To reach the business, the number is the same, 541-296-3150.
