History of RadioShack - Charlevoix

Serving our community since 1975

Corporate RadioShack

Radio Shack was started in 1921 by two brothers, Theodore and Milton Deutschmann, who wanted to provide equipment for the new field of amateur radio (also known as ham radio). They chose the name "Radio Shack", which was the term for a small, wooden structure that housed a ship's radio equipment. Its parent company, Radio Shack Corporation, was purchased by Tandy Corporation in 1962, shifting its focus from radio equipment to hobbyist electronic components. At its peak, the chain had more than 8,000 store locations in the US, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Australia and Canada. As of today, there are approximately 400 independently owned stores.

Your Local RadioShack

In 1975 Bob Lenhart moved his family from the Detroit area to Northern Michigan in order to open up a RadioShack. The first store location was opened in Petoskey. He later opened a store in Charlevoix and then one in Boyne City. After retiring, Bob left the stores to his children. Larry operated the Boyne City store, Mary operated the Petoskey store, and Steve operated the Charlevoix store. These stores were successfully run for 40+ years. As of today, the Charlevoix RadioShack is our remaining store that has all of our attention and is thriving. It is run and operated by second and third generation Lenharts. We love serving our community and plan to continue operating for many years to come!