Living Direct
Encyclopedia
Living Direct is an online
retail company
, specializing in consumer appliances
, indoor air quality products, and lawn and garden furniture
. Headquartered in Austin
, Texas
, Living Direct encompasses a network of specialty eCommerce websites including CompactAppliance.com, LivingDirect.com, PortableAirShop.com, Kegerator.com, SimplyDehumidifiers.com, HotWaterSource.com and WineCoolerDirect.com. The company also designs and manufactures two product brands, EdgeStar and KoldFront.
Rick Lundbom, who decided to implement his knowledge and previous experience to bring to the market hard-to-find appliance
s for modern, small-space living. The company started in his home with no outside investors and Lundbom as the sole employee.
He began by launching Living Direct's first retail website, CompactAppliance.com. It was followed by PortableAirShop.com in 2004 and HotWaterSource.com in 2007. In 2008, LivingDirect.com was launched. Since then, Kegerator.com, SimplyDehumidifiers.com, WineCoolerDirect.com and IceMakerDirect.com have been added to the Living Direct network. Today, Living Direct is a multi-million dollar eCommerce enterprise consistently ranked in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide of America’s largest e-retailers, as well as a respected member of the Better Business Bureau
.
Entrepreneur Magazine
selected Living Direct as a 2007 Hot 500 Fastest Growing Business. In 2008, Living Direct was listed in Inc.com's
"5,000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America," which determines ranking based on revenue growth.
The Bellagio Hotel
in Las Vegas ordered Living Direct's wine coolers for its ritziest suites, and the Philadelphia Eagles
have its compact refrigerators in the VIP boxes.
ONLINE
ONLINE is a magazine for information systems first published in 1977. The publisher Online, Inc. was founded the year before. In May 2002, Information Today, Inc. acquired the assets of Online Inc....
retail company
Company
A company is a form of business organization. It is an association or collection of individual real persons and/or other companies, who each provide some form of capital. This group has a common purpose or focus and an aim of gaining profits. This collection, group or association of persons can be...
, specializing in consumer appliances
Small appliance
Small appliance refers to a class of home appliances that are portable or semi-portable or which are used on tabletops, countertops, or other platforms in the United States of America...
, indoor air quality products, and lawn and garden furniture
Garden furniture
Garden furniture, also called patio furniture and outdoor furniture, is a type of furniture specifically designed for outdoor use. It is typically made of weather resistant materials...
. Headquartered in Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, Living Direct encompasses a network of specialty eCommerce websites including CompactAppliance.com, LivingDirect.com, PortableAirShop.com, Kegerator.com, SimplyDehumidifiers.com, HotWaterSource.com and WineCoolerDirect.com. The company also designs and manufactures two product brands, EdgeStar and KoldFront.
History
Living Direct, previously known as Richlund Ventures, was founded in 1999 by entrepreneurEntrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
Rick Lundbom, who decided to implement his knowledge and previous experience to bring to the market hard-to-find appliance
Home appliance
Home appliances are electrical/mechanical machines which accomplish some household functions, such as cooking or cleaning. Home appliances can be classified into:*Major appliances, or White goods*Small appliances, or Brown goods...
s for modern, small-space living. The company started in his home with no outside investors and Lundbom as the sole employee.
He began by launching Living Direct's first retail website, CompactAppliance.com. It was followed by PortableAirShop.com in 2004 and HotWaterSource.com in 2007. In 2008, LivingDirect.com was launched. Since then, Kegerator.com, SimplyDehumidifiers.com, WineCoolerDirect.com and IceMakerDirect.com have been added to the Living Direct network. Today, Living Direct is a multi-million dollar eCommerce enterprise consistently ranked in the Internet Retailer Top 500 Guide of America’s largest e-retailers, as well as a respected member of the Better Business Bureau
Better Business Bureau
The Better Business Bureau , founded in 1912, is a corporation consisting of several private business franchises of local BBB organizations based in the United States and Canada, which work through their parent corporation, the Council of Better Business Bureaus .The Better Business Bureau, through...
.
Entrepreneur Magazine
Entrepreneur Magazine
Entrepreneur is a publication that carries news stories about entrepreneurialism, small business management, and business opportunities. It is published by Entrepreneur Media Inc., headquartered in Irvine, California....
selected Living Direct as a 2007 Hot 500 Fastest Growing Business. In 2008, Living Direct was listed in Inc.com's
Inc. (magazine)
Inc. magazine, founded in 1979 and based in New York City, is a monthly publication focused on growing companies. The magazine publishes an annual list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., the "Inc...
"5,000 Fastest Growing Private Companies in America," which determines ranking based on revenue growth.
The Bellagio Hotel
Bellagio (hotel and casino)
Bellagio is a hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in the Paradise area of unincorporated Clark County, Nevada, USA and a member of The Leading Hotels of the World. It is owned by MGM Resorts International and was built on the site of the demolished Dunes hotel and casino.Inspired by the...
in Las Vegas ordered Living Direct's wine coolers for its ritziest suites, and the Philadelphia Eagles
Philadelphia Eagles
The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are members of the East Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
have its compact refrigerators in the VIP boxes.
Network of Sites
- CompactAppliance.com
- LivingDirect.com
- PortableAirShop.com
- Kegerator.com
- HotWaterSource.com
- SimplyDehumidifiers.com
- WineCoolerDirect.com
- IceMakerDirect.com