History of the Ogden and Layton Deseret Industries stores

DESERET Industries opened its Harrisville Store, 435 North Wall Avenue on Sept. 24, 2009.

That meant the DI left Ogden City after more than 6 decades there.

The first DI in Ogden opened in 1941 on the south side of 24^th Street, between Grant Avenue and Washington Boulevard. It later moved to 2360 Washington Boulevard, just north of where ZCMI used to be located. Finally, the old Williamson Auto Body property was secured and the Ogden DI moved to 2048 Washington Boulevard.

That third store location meant the DI remodeled almost annually. Also, in that era, the DI repaired TVs and electronics and even recut and reused broken mirrors. Used shoes were also repaired and shined. Old furniture was repaired and rugs were made from rags, as waste was kept to almost zero.

“Nothing is wasted when sent to the Deseret Industries” was almost a DI motto in the 1970s.

humanitarian-services program throughout the world.

                Two photos of the Ogden DI from“The Church in Ogden Yearbook for 1978.”) 

-Deseret Industries was born during the post-Depression era when The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sent two officials to Los Angeles in 1938 to study Goodwill Industries and determine how the church could create similar employment opportunities through a thrift-store business.

                                              The Ogden DI manager in the late 1970s.

Deseret Industries was born later that year under the direction of LDS Church President Heber J. Grant.  It was originally part of the Bishop’s Storehouse. It became its own separate entity in early 1941.

Today it is one of the largest thrift store chains in the nation, behind Goodwill and Savers stores, with 46 stores in seven Western states: Arizona, California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

The stores operate on the principles of thrift, work, giving and self-reliance, and their primary purpose is employment rehabilitation.

-According to information from the organization, Deseret Industries is composed of three related parts. First, employees receive training and find long-term employment. Second, the public may purchase inexpensive, quality merchandise in a clean, safe retail environment. To those in need, merchandise is provided at no cost. Third, all people may provide meaningful service through the donation of time and merchandise.

Richard L. McKenna, director of Deseret Industries, said the ultimate goal of Deseret Industries is to provide temporary employment and job skills to people who need them.

"We serve without regard to religion," he said. Currently, D.I. stores probably employ about 50 percent non-LDS workers.

He said selling used clothing and items is what keeps the DIs funded — they have to be self-sustaining.

McKenna said the DI system hasn't expanded with new stores in recent years, because it is oriented toward quality and not just to opening more outlets.

"We have a desire to be the best," he said.

He also said the DIs have no desire to set a price at the maximum amount, but simply a fair price.

(-Adapted from an Oct. 16, 2008 story by Lynn Arave in the Deseret News and a Sept. 6, 2009 Deseret News story. Additional information came from “The Church in Ogden Yearbook for 1978.”)

-LAYTON DI:

The Layton, Utah DI originally opened May of 1998 at 1010 West Hill Field Road. This was a leased building of about 30,000-square feet.

About 11 years later in October of 2008, the DI moved eastward, a few hundred yards, to 930 West Hill Field Road and into a new building that was about twice the size as its original Layton store.

                                The Layton DI.

This DI was part of the Welfare Service Center, which included six components besides the D.I. — LDS Family Services, LDS Employment, the Distribution Center, Bishop's Storehouse, Family Home Storage Center and a humanitarian volunteer room — all under one roof.

The new facility was dedicated by Presiding Bishop H. David Burton of the LDS Church. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is planned for 9:45 a.m. today. The grand opening celebration continues through Saturday.

Also, the process of moving the estimated 12,000 items that are donated each day to the sales floor became much faster in the new facility.

Every morning, Monday through Saturday, a line of up at least several dozen patrons forms outside the Layton DI, as they await a chance to see what new items have been donated.

(-Adapted from an Oct. 16, 2008 story in the Deseret News.)