Copyright Chicago Tribune
Step into the showroom at Abt Electronics and you’ll quickly realize this isn’t your typical retailer. The Glenview appliance and electronics store is equipped with a 7,500-gallon saltwater aquarium that houses exotic fish and a moray eel. Free cookies are handed out on weekends, and a new on-site coffee shop offers a coffee-based dessert — affogato — that’s quickly become popular. A dancing fountain in the Abt atrium was inspired by a water feature at the Bellagio resort in Las Vegas. Despite the modern features and amenities, family values and an old-fashioned approach to doing business are the backbone of the 89-year-old retailer, which ranks No. 11 among large employers on the Tribune’s list of Top Workplaces, as measured by consultancy Energage in Exton, Pennsylvania. “It’s a really unique retail environment. We really want to keep our customers happy. That’s really where it all starts,” said Jon Abt, who is co-president of the company along with brothers Michael, Ricky and Billy. “It’s sort of an old-school approach to business, taking care of your customer. At the end of the day, that’s our best advertising,” Jon Abt said. Abt Electronics was founded as Abt Radio by David and Jewel Abt in 1936. Their son Bob Abt joined the business in 1962, and the business is now run by Bob Abt’s sons, each of whom has learned the business from the ground up. Jon Abt began working for the company around the age of 16, cleaning toilets and helping out in the warehouse. He worked in the music business on the West Coast for about 10 years after college before moving back to Chicago and becoming a full-time Abt employee. “We’ve all really grown up within the business, doing all sorts of jobs,” Abt said. The family’s fourth generation is also beginning to work in the business. Abt employs roughly 1,800 people, including those who sell, deliver, install and service electronics and appliances. “Our corporate philosophy is kind of old school. We like to control every aspect of our business from the very start to the very end,” Abt said. “Most companies now outsource the delivery people. They don’t have installation, they don’t do service. We do all of that stuff because we want to make sure that what we say we’re going to do is actually going to happen.” The company’s priority is keeping customers happy, and taking care of employees is a key part of that effort, Abt said. “If an employee is not happy, it reflects poorly on the company to the customer,” he said. “We want to make sure it’s a great environment.” The organizational chart at Abt is flat, and employees are encouraged to share ideas and suggestions. “We’ve got an open door policy. Anyone could walk into our offices at any given time if they’ve got an idea,” Abt said. Abt has an employee softball team and an on-site gym with a basketball court, racquetball court, sauna and steam room. “We want to make sure our employees are healthy, and they stay with us for a long time,” Abt said. Full-time employees are offered medical, dental and vision insurance as well as company-paid life insurance and short-term disability. During the summer, Abt has food trucks on site once a month. The company also hosts an annual picnic for employees and their families. Abt has numerous longtime employees, some of whom have worked in different departments over the years. Richard Rene was hired by Abt in 1994. With the exception of a two-year break in the late 1990s, he’s been with the retailer ever since, doing stints in the warehouse, as a delivery driver and in sales. Rene is now general manager. “The culture here is amazing,” said Rene, who described a family-like work environment. “We’re kind of a big business now. We’re not just a small mom-and-pop shop, but we still try to run it like a mom-and-pop shop.” Bella Valdovinos has worked at Abt for two years, and she’s already part of one of the company’s newest ventures. Valdovinos works primarily as a customer service representative, but on Mondays and Thursdays, she helps run the on-site coffee shop, Alice’s Coffee. “The first time I came into this store was for my interview, and instantly I knew that I was gonna love it if I got the job,” she said. “I was greeted by probably everyone that I walked by, and everyone was just very happy to be there. … And then once I got the job, I was like, this is not a front. It’s always like this.” “I just love how collaborative everyone is,” Valdovinos said. “I’m only 20 years old, and it’s so nice to know that they care about my opinion.” Valdovinos volunteered at the annual golf benefit put on by the For Autistic Kids Foundation, which was established by the Abt family to raise money, awareness and support for autism research. “We do a lot of events,” Valdovinos said. “I think that’s also why we’re so family-oriented, because we truly get to know everyone in the company through these wonderful events.” “Abt makes it really enjoyable to come to work.”
