Pawn America in the 1990s
1991 – First store opened.
1994 – The company comes into its own with stores in Robbinsdale, MN; Burnsville, MN; Hopkins, MN and Roseville, MN.
1995 – 1999 Pawn America expands to six more Minnesota locations in Bloomington, Duluth, Fridley, Rochester, St. Cloud, St. Paul Midway, and West St. Paul.
Pawn America in the 2000s
2000 – Intensive study of retail and marketing brought about a sweeping change creating a first-of-its-kind pawn store featuring a contemporary retail environment inside and out. The company does NOT compare itself to other pawn stores, but to large retail chains such as BEST BUY and TARGET.
2000 – The company begins advertising on television.
2000 – Pawn America opens additional stores in Fridley and Coon Rapids, MN.
2000 – Pawn America opens a subsidiary industrial loan company called PAYDAY AMERICA. Three locations are launched in Bloomington, St. Paul and Roseville, MN. PAYDAY stores in Rochester, Robbinsdale, Anoka, St. Cloud, Mankato, Duluth and Burnsville, MN are opened in the next five years.
2003 – Pawn America launches CashPass, the first MasterCard debit card product in the United States that ultimately provides customers with an FDIC-insured savings account.
2005 – The CashPass card allows customers to make loan payments via telephone.
2005 – Fridley Pawn America becomes largest pawn store in Midwest.
2005 – Pawn America offers jobs and housing to victims of Hurricane Katrina.
2005 – Pawn America sends a former employee off to Iraq with thousands of DVDs for American servicemen and women. A thousand more DVDs were also sent to Afghanistan.
2006 – Pawn America opens 12,000 square-foot Sioux Falls, SD store – its first in South Dakota.
2006 – Pawn America expands its portfolio by offering low-cost, high-dollar loans.
2006 – Pawn America cuts loan fees on large loans by 60%.
2006 – Pawn America issues its one-millionth loan.
2006 – Pawn America supports KIDS FEEDING KIDS, a Boys & Girls Club program that teaches nutrition and restaurant skills while assuring that inner-city club kids don’t go hungry.
2007 – Company opens first PAYDAY location outside Minnesota in Sioux Falls, SD.
2007 – Brad Rixmann, Founder of Pawn America, named Pawnbroker of the Year by the National Pawnbrokers Association (NPA).
2007 – Dave Willmott is named President of CashPass Network.
2008 – Pawn America opens Onalaska store – its 16th location and first in Wisconsin.
2008 – Pawn America introduces its Paper or Plastic program, offering up to 25% additional loan proceeds when customers utilize the CashPass MasterCard.
2008 – Pawn America opens Fargo, ND store – its 20th location and first in North Dakota.
2008 – Pawn America befriends the University of Minnesota Medical Center Fairview Transitional Care Unit while providing “Holiday Wish List” care package.
2009 – Pawn America becomes founding partner in launch of the Hennepin County Sheriff Foundation (HCSF).
2009 – Pawn America offers first HCSF Scholarship for aspiring students in local law enforcement programs.
2009 – Pawn America opens second Kids Feeding Kids kitchen at St. Paul’s East Side Boys & Girls Club location.
2009 – Pawn America adopts Original Recyclers message as part of its corporate green-friendly initiative.
2009 – Pawn America partners with Sodexo, General Mills and Second Harvest Heartland in launching Feeding Our Future in coordination with the Kids Feeding Kids initiative.
2009 – Pawn America partners with Onalaska Police Department providing LeadsOnline service in support of local law enforcement.
2009 – Pawn America opens its 21st location in Appleton, WI.
2009 – Pawn America is named a 2009 recipient of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Growth 50 Award, signifying the company as one of the fastest growing private companies in the Twin Cities metro area.
2009 – Pawn America is named a 2009 recipient of the Jefferson Award for Corporate Philanthropy, a national award honoring the company for its charitable causes.
Pawn America in the 2010s
2010 – Pawn America owner Brad Rixmann is named to the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities’ Board of Directors.
2010 – Pawn America hosts 4th Annual Martin Luther King Day celebration in South Minneapolis.
2010 – Pawn America receives ad endorsement from MN Twin Michael Cuddyer in support of Kids Feeding Kids program.
2010 – Pawn America launches Curb-Side Computer Collection Program in Rochester in support if it’s PCs for People partnership.
2010 – Pawn America develops the Pawn America Transformation Challenge, a corporate wellness program to improve the health and wellbeing of its employees.
2010 – Pawn America creates a community affairs initiative to build and maintain strong working relationships with business and community-related groups.
2010 – Pawn America opens its largest store, a 33,000 square-foot location in Madison, Wisconsin.
2010 – Pawn America owner Brad Rixmann is appointed to the Hennepin County Sheriff Foundation Board of Directors.
2010 – Pawn America launches the Pawn Squad, a corporate effort to further engage employees in the political process.
2010 – Pawn America partners with the Minneapolis College of Art & Design (MCAD) by hosting the Whittier Storefront Project launch event .
2010 – Pawn America is named a 2010 recipient of the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Growth 50 Award, signifying the company as one of the fastest growing private companies in the Twin Cities metro area.
2010 – Pawn America is receives the 2010 FiSCA Activa Award, honoring outstanding examples of positive community involvement.
2010 – Brad and Melanie Rixmann are named Honorary Chairs of the 2010 Boys and Girls Clubs of the Twin Cities Annual Gala.
