Ness Typerwriter Sales Service Serves 6-County Area
May 10, 1954, Ames Daily Tribune
Ronald E. Ness, of R.E. Ness Typewriter Sales and Service, operated the only “full-line” authorized dealer for Smith-Corona office machines in the Ames area. With the help of assistant Richard Friest, all brands of office machines were serviced in the shop located since 1953 at 122 Main Street. In the retail section of the R.E. Ness Typewriter Sales and Service, Ronald Ness (right of picture), owner and manager of the store, shows his assistant, Dick Friest, the latest features of a new machine.
The R.E. Ness Typewriter Sales and Service, 122 Main Street, serves central Iowa with office and portable typewriters, adding machines and cash registers both as a retail store and as a repair headquarters. Owned and managed by Ronald E. Ness, he came to Ames in March of 1947 to start and manage a typewriter shop at 408½ Douglas. He bought the business Jan. 1, 1950, and moved to the new location at 122 Main the first of October, 1953.
The authorized dealer for Smith-Corona office typewriters, Ness is the only "full-line" dealer for Smith-Corona Inc. in Ames and retail trade area. Ness also carries other makes of portable typewriters, including Royal, Remington, Underwood and Smith-Corona.
Starting in the typewriter repairing field at Marshalltown in 1942, he worked there until entering the army in 1944. While in service until November of 1946, Ness serviced typewriters in army ordinance. Ness has 12 years of experience in typewriter repairing and has taken specialized training from factory mechanics on every make of machine. He services all of the Smith-Corona typewriters at Iowa State college.
As the only typewriter repairman located in Ames, Ness gives expert repair service locally which can be done quicker and is less expensive than can be found outside of Ames. The Ness repair department handles all types of problems a customer might have, either of a major or minor nature. The service department cleans, adjusts, overhauls and replaces parts as well as repairing broken frames and bases which can result from dropping a machine.
The Ness store is also the dealer for various makes of adding machines such as Smith-Corona, National, Burroughs, Victor, Remington and Olivetti calculators, as well as carrying all makes of used upright and portable typewriters, either rebuilt or reconditioned. Supplies for machines can also be obtained at the Ness store, including ribbons, carbon paper, stencils, adding machine paper rolls, hectograph supplies, typewriter tables and chairs.
Richard Friest, who works with Mr. Ness, started in May of 1952 under the vocational training program at Ames high school. Since his graduation in June of 1953, Dick has been finishing his apprenticeship training on servicing all makes of office machines.
"We carry the entire line of Smith-Corona," Ness said, "because I believe from experience that they are the most mechanically improved machines on the market. Their different construction allows easier and more economical servicing and they have additional exclusive features that other machines don't offer the customer."
The Ness store is open from 8 a.m. throughout the week and closes at 5:30 p.m., with the exception of Monday nights when the store is open until 9 p.m. The store is closed during the noon hour, from noon until 1 o'clock, each day Monday through Saturday.
Ness said toady that the Smith-Corona company is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year as a leading office machine firm. Ness Typewriter Sales and Service, which is the sole authorized dealer for Smith-Corona office machines in the six county retail area around Ames, enjoys the reputation of excellent retail and repair service to the families and businesses of central Iowa.
