- Established: 1948
- Owners: Jake Rettberg
- Employees: 7
- Services: plumbing, electrical, HVAC, appliances
- 165 W. Dodds St., Divernon
- 217-628-3413
Rettberg’s on the Square, located on the Divernon square, was founded in 1948 by Ernie Rettberg and was originally a small radio and electronics store. Today, the business has expanded to provide plumbing, electrical work, heating and air conditioning and whole-house stand-by generators, as well as the sale and maintenance of appliances.
Ernie’s son, Jake, became the sole owner of the business in 2005 but has been with the company since 1978.
“I worked there through school, and then me and my brother took it over and kept it going after my dad passed away,” said Jake.
Over the years, the company grew to include televisions, appliances, household products, hardware, greeting cards and gifts. Eventually, a decision was made to limit service and sales to meet the greatest needs of the customers. The business was then able to focus on expanding its services to include appliances, electrical contracting, heating and cooling and plumbing.
“We pay close attention to detail and treat our customers how we would like to be treated,” Jake said. “We offer quality work at an affordable price. We don’t do much advertising, but word-of-mouth gets around. We are just a small-town business with a lot of loyal customers.”
This article appears in 15 Under Fifteen – 2025.