Andy and Bax opened it’s doors in 1945 just after the end of World War 2 under the original name of “Grand – Hawthorne Surplus” selling wartime surplus, guns, ammo, tarps, rubber life rafts and just about anything one could think of. In 1956 we moved to 1234 S.E. Union the name was changed to Andy and Bax. We began converting old military rubber rafts into white water boats. In 1969 the building suffered a four alarm fire and was burned to the ground. Five months later we re-opened up at our current location 324 SE Grand Ave and Oak St. During the seventies and eighties we helped build the white water rafting scene in the Pacific Northwest, and built Riken rafts until the early nineties. Today we still have one of the largest boat showrooms in the world, and continue to bring new and used military and camping gear to the greater Portland area. Source:http://www.andyandbax.com/about-us/