Jamieson growing Maricopa Appliance Repair after taking over 2 years ago

By R. Mason Callejas
[quote_box_right]Gary Jamieson
PERSONAL
Age: 35
Hometown: Johannesburg, South Africa
Residence: Rancho El Dorado
Education: U.S. Air Force, architectural design; Le Cordon Bleu; ongoing trade-specific appliance repair business training and workshops
Family: Mother and father (founders of Appliance Works) reside in Hidden Valley; aunt and three cousins in metro Phoenix
Pets: 3 dogs
Pet Peeves: Dishonesty and inconsiderate drivers
Car: Nissan truck
Hobbies: Golf, riding motorcycles, poker, flying (earning pilot’s license), rock climbing and cooking

BUSINESS
First job: Air Force
Favorite job: Owner and technician for Maricopa Appliance Repair
Greatest challenge: The behind-the-scenes of running my own business; accounting, marketing, payroll, etc.
Best business advice ever received: My dad always instilled in me, keep your customers happy! Customer service is important for any business. No customers mean no business.

FAVORITES
Car: Subaru STI
Food: Burgers
Beverage: Dos Equis
Movie: Idiocracy
TV show: The Simpsons
Musician: Queen
Sport: Rugby
Team: Springboks
Charity: United Blood Services
Travel destination: The beach, any beach
City: San Diego
Quote: “Honest, integrity, service before self.” U.S. Air Force core values[/quote_box_right]
For the last nine years Maricopa Appliance Repair has been offering on-site kitchen and laundry room appliance repair in Maricopa.

Owner and Rancho El Dorado resident Gary Jamieson, 35, wants not only to offer his community affordable, quick and reliable service, but with his eyes pinned to the horizon he also has high hopes of expanding his family-owned business.

“In the past year and a half we have added two technicians, and we hope to add more,” Jamieson said. “We also are looking to expand into areas surrounding Maricopa such as Casa Grande, Eloy and Arizona City – all the way to Tucson.”

Twenty-one years ago the Jamieson family also had their eyes on the horizon. Eager to get at a slice of the American Dream they immigrated to the United States from their home in Johannesburg, South Africa. Settling in the Valley due to the environmental similarities of their homeland, parents Peter and Ronelle Jamieson searched for a large, affordable piece of land and found it west of Maricopa.

About 10 years later the Jamiesons began to realize the area lacked a fast, reliable and reasonably priced appliance repair service.

“The nearest places that would service Maricopa would charge an arm and a leg just to set foot in the door,” Gary Jamieson said. “Not to mention they wouldn’t be available for a minimum of two weeks!”

And thus the family-owned Maricopa Appliance Repair, then Appliance Works LLC, was created. Two years ago Jamieson, happy with the progress they had made and with expansion on his mind, took the reins from his parents and hasn’t looked back.

“We get to work with and meet so many interesting people,” Jamieson said, “[people] we wouldn’t have the opportunity to encounter if we were behind a desk.”

Though at times “keeping it all organized and together proves challenging, my customers and their satisfaction remain my top priority.”

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This story appears in the October issue of InMaricopa.