Industry changes, but this shop has stood the test of time
By IRENE MANAHAN Special to the Daily Press
SANTA MONICA Each spring, as the grass gets green and ready for a fresh mowing, sometimes the lawnmower huffs and puffs without actually cutting a single blade.
That’s when Santa Monicans send their disabled equipment to a little father and son joint right here in town.
Paul Otto Bahn was born in Germany and moved to the beautiful city of Santa Monica in 1919. In 1927, Bahn, also known as P.O., started his own mobile automotive machine shop. After World War II, in 1946, P.O.’s sons joined the business, opening a store on Lincoln Boulevard and changing the name of the business to what we know now as P.O. Bahn and Sons.
This year, the family owned and operated shop celebrates its 80th anniversary.
P.O. and Sons is the only store of its kind in Santa Monica, repairing outdoor power equipment and specializing in chain saws and weed trimmers. The shop stopped selling lawnmowers and other heavy equipment years ago, transforming itself into primarily a repair shop.
P.O.’s grandson, Ray Bahn started working at the store before his 20th birthday. Ray Bahn’s grandfather died before he was born, so he never got to meet the man that created this legacy.
Among other things, Ray Bahn also worked as a custodian, paper boy, sold flowers and fought forest fires before he settled down and became owner of the family owned enterprise. While it was something that was never said, the shop’s current owner, Ray Bahn knew that after his father retired, he would be next to own the family business.
Ray Bahn is the third generation of Bahn’s to operate the business and he began working full time as the owner in 1972.
“I’ve been my own boss for so long, I don’t know what it’s like to work anywhere else anymore,”said Ray Bahn.“It’s got its ups and downs, and it is great working here.”
These days, only Ray Bahn and his long-time employee and friend, Rodrigo Carrillo work at the store. Carrillo has worked at P.O. Bahn and Sons for 27 years.
The shop was originally an automotive machinery business before they began repairing small outdoor power equipment, according to Bahn.
While the business is still popular, Bahn said people aren’t interested in working outdoors like they used to be. Carrillo and Ray Bahn are Santa Monica natives and both agree that the city has changed much over the years.
“We used to sell 100 lawnmowers a year. Then that became 80, 60, 40, 20 — now we don’t even sell them anymore,” said Ray Bahn. “We just repair them.”
“Unfortunately, the whole city has changed. Years ago, people would mow their own lawns, and kids would go door to door selling their mowing business,” said Ray Bahn.“Most people hire their own gardeners and not much of our clientele is made up of those gardeners.”
“The whole climate has changed. Many homes have turned into apartment complexes. There isn’t a homeowner base in Santa Monica. We have more clients from Malibu and Topanga,” said Carrillo.
“There aren’t even as many houses as there used to be,” said Carrillo.
“For the most part, big box stores like Home Depot and Lowes have taken away our business,” said Ray Bahn. But he doesn’t blame chains stores for the change in the industry. “People are attracted to mass merchants. They buy what’s cheap.”
During the last three years, Bahn has worked hard to grow a portable repair service. He has furnished a trailer that he uses to make home visits.
“This is the thing I’m most proud of,”Ray Bahn said as he walked into his fully-loaded trailer. “Everything we do in the shop can be done in this trailer.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 7, 2007. Read the original PDF.