So often you see sites on the web and never know the history of how it came to be and who is behind it.  Well, here is the history of Quality Items of Montana, who is behind it, and why I sell Oregon Scientific products.

Back in 2002 I, Chris (the owner) was looking for Christmas gifts for my family.  I had heard of a wireless thermometer that was available and thought that would be something my family would like.  I did some searching online for available models and decided that the Oregon Scientific BAR888 was the one.  Four were ordered and for Christmas 2002 my immediate family received an Oregon Scientific BAR888.  They, and I, loved it!

Weather has always been an interest of mine.  Because Oregon Scientific made multiple weather and climate monitoring products, I looked in to getting my own home weather station, the Oregon Scientific WMR968.  My personal interest in the weather and the quality and ease of use of Oregon Scientific products led me to pursue starting an online business selling Oregon Scientific products. (In now have an Oregon Scientific WMR200 at home.)

The original site was developed using MS Frontpage and worked fairly well.  The design was very time consuming to keep updated and current on the models available.  Around 2004, the site was upgraded to use osCommerce.  Again, this worked very well and was a great improvement for me and for the customers.  Up until the next change was made, only cash, money orders, and PayPal were accepted as payment types.  In 2007 another upgrade was done to ZenCart (love it!) and credit cards were accepted.  That is where I am now and have no plans on changing.  A lot of work has gone in to getting the site where it is now.

Why the name Quality Items of Montana?  Well, I am from Montana and still live here, and a generic name was selected so that if Oregon Scientific were ever to be no longer available, I would have the flexibility to move to a different manufacturer and/or product line.  There are no intentions of doing this, now seven years after selecting the name.

I pride myself on the personal shopping experience you receive when you purchase a product from me.  You will receive real emails from me with you and your order in mind.  (There are some automatically generated emails, but only a couple.)  The personal experience is gone in online shopping.  I try to do my little part to still make the experience as personal as possible.  This is not a huge corporation, it is a small business run by me.  Some might call that a “Mom and Pop” business.  When purchasing from me, know that you are not just a number, an order, or a dollar figure.

I guess that covers the basic history.  Feel free to post to this blog or send me an email if you have any questions.  I love hearing from you!

Chris
Owner, Quality Items of Montana
Specializing in Oregon Scientific products