july american retailer television personality portland oregon opened store grew regional consumer electronics home furniture chain 1970s memorable television commercials unusual promotions widely recognized personality portland area 1980s leading cameo appearances films early 1990s having acquired unable successfully integrate competing chain electronics stores filed bankruptcy protection scaled furniture retailer offered minimal electronics continued appearing commercials early 2000s store final location closed february early life born outside minnesota grew farm son federal government worker studied business met future wife area lutheran church camp northern minnesota age married september founding expansion spent years working rising eastern regional manager charge food processing plants united_states canada western regional manager son company president obtained franchise television sold home business moved advice friends opened store foster road paid salary week week controller business year business revenues selling million year period achieved fame portland pacific_northwest early 1980s largest home electronics portland alongside went open stores eugene far away washington later closed stores citing inability offer personal service appearing floor alongside sales staff children worked business daughter personnel manager son keith partner affiliated electronics import export business operating boston bankruptcy reorganization september acquire parent company filed bankruptcy month paying plus million inventory acquisition included car stereo specialty shop mall car stereo east continued operate franchise locations washington square branding change march renamed original home electronics store foster explained original stores performing better newly acquired outlets decided combine stores car specialty store unaffected august closed location october filed chapter bankruptcy protection listing million owed creditors assets million faced lawsuits suppliers time filing said listened wife said don buy right said sales percent company fiscal year compared business red month months said time called closed furniture store foster consolidating operations remaining stores kept ads air suggestion immediate subsequent television spots referred bankruptcy spelling troubles asking customers buy today crisis manager took control operations leaving work sales floors stores closed march said big nationals tough regional like smith locals like lay blame national retailers saying life crosses don blame september reopened business original location square foot southeast foster road son law president daughter store resumed duties chief financial officer remained primary public face company resumed familiar advertising raised portion new venture seed money sale memorabilia having bought hundreds alarm bankruptcy trustee profit staff selling million worth household year having shown profit years working time hours week half booking million sales year sold remaining property corner foster moved store street block away avenue final location closed february television advertising widely known portland writing starring low budget commercials trademark catch phrases including free good price referring store happy place buy 1980s described columnist arguably recognizable man portland famous commercials wake wake spots began airing mid-1970s borrowed idea retailer texas somebody told followed successful theirs didn store owner strong personality theirs kept stores open accommodate customers inspired visit store late night commercial ran frequently 1980s aired experimented hiring outside firm produce series commercials years air new commercials parodied daytime soap operas featuring housewife named domestic problems solved merchandise stores television spots said probably best known commercial town best liked continued writing starring commercials early 2000s special promotions july offered free attended opening store foster got hired floor gave day decided gimmick weekly event continued offering decades giving away week halloween masks starting halloween offered visitors free cardboard masks face went single year said thought better mask realistic thought somebody bank wearing witnesses sticking black white cardboard alarm october ceased running wake spots debuted alarm clock shape television set face center voice alarm saying wake wake happy day said promotion time face homes portland certainly hurt cited successful promotion watch featuring face said particularly went college youth big thing campus guess kind cult thing northwest native wore attorney representing creditors bankruptcy case promotions included hats shirts cups coloring books turned bus traveled circuit parking lots foster mark tenth anniversary couple wedding anniversary september offered customers coffee photos tom years ago present day popular culture film roles cameo appearances films appeared van films actor commercial plays television van later cast non speaking role police chief commercial die appeared holland filmed portland van related los_angeles_times people responded decided van video editor bought magic chef celebrity appearances served best man wedding planned morning zoo radio station professional wrestler met year old groom called nice young gentleman played drums art public access television cable proprietor art subject works portland artist include painting bob pairing face bob weather cat fixture local news pop icons athletes selling says face appropriated portland artists spray painted graffiti trust tom modifying pre existing trust jesus graffiti adding face face icon appear stores comic book published portland company created portland artist music radio personality musician wrote song featured singing station sold copies single proceeds charity continued running song 1990s december concert wore shirt personal life bankruptcy started second business speaker continued lived wife story style home oregon fan bird hunting specifically later years suffered disease died july age
Tom Peterson