September 25, 2008

By Rick Winterson

Gary Anderson is the founder and owner of Southie Appliance.  He wanted to go out on his own, so he took a risk back in 2005 and it worked.  He now has a large number of customers, who use his skills to keep to their home appliances in topnotch operating condition.

Gary Anderson was raised down on B Street, echoing Benny Drohan’s classic song about the old hometown.  So, it’s no surprise that he named his three-year-old business “Southie Appliance”.

Gary is the youngest of seven children born to Guy and Mary Anderson – Vicky, Donna, Eddie, Joey, Sarah, John, and then Gary.  The Anderson family had been living on Quincy Street in Dorchester, but relocated to South Boston just before Gary’s birth.  He attended school at the Bigelow, the Condon, the Gavin, and graduated from South Boston High – Class of ’84.

Like many South Boston grads, he had several possible roads to follow – college, the military, going to work, and so on.  He first went into culinary work, cooking at Amrhein’s, which was of course a very short commute from B Street.  Then, he worked in automotive repair at a trucking company.  For a few years, he worked at John Hancock as a truck driver and in their Fulfillment Department.

However, Hancock was acquired, which led to layoffs.  It’s here that Gary’s risk-taking began.  He used his unemployment and some assets of his own and went back to school at the Bay State School of Technology.  He was in a class of 20; he grins as he recalls that at 38, he was the third oldest student in the bunch.

He studied refrigeration, air conditioning, and appliance repair.  When he finished at Bay State, he had the option of going to work for an appliance firm, but decided to start up Southie Appliance instead. 

It was difficult at first, but these days, Gary is busy five or more days per week.  He has serviced upwards of 2,000 customers in South Boston and surrounding areas, which include Greater Boston and the South Shore.  About a third of his work is repeat business.  He still works on his own, performing all appliance work himself.  And he would like to add more clients, who need to repair or upgrade their appliances, and who want repair work that features accountability and cost-effectiveness.

Modern homes have numerous appliances – gas or electric stoves, washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, air conditioners, and many smaller appliances.  Brand names that Gary handles include Whirlpool, Kenmore, KitchenAid, and Roper, which have interchangeable parts and are inexpensive to repair.  In addition, he offers preventive maintenance, which can extend significantly the life of your refrigerator or air conditioner.

He will also perform work on small commercial appliances, but almost all of his work is domestic – everything he repairs is done in place.  He comes to your home, so that appliances go back into service immediately once the repair work is finished.

Southie Appliance is licensed (#0205) to work on refrigerant systems.  CFCs, or chlorofluorocarbons, are not only refrigerants.  They are pollutants that affect the ozone layer.  You may have noticed small air conditioners that are left on the curb after trash collections.  The trash trucks can’t pick these up until they are labeled “empty” of CFCs by a licensed technician, a service that Gary provides.

Another preventive service Southie Appliance offers is dryer cleanouts.  Clothes dryers should last indefinitely, but lint buildup will ruin belts, bearings, and motors.  There can be a potential fire hazard as well.  Gary will come out each year to clean the unit and ducts for around $60 per visit.  That’s low-cost insurance.

He recommends not repairing small appliances, like coffee-makers or toasters.  It’s cheaper to replace these, unless you’re attached to a unit for some reason.  Window air conditioners and microwave ovens are two examples of appliances that may or may not be economical to repair.  It depends on the age and state of these appliances.  Check with Gary first – he’ll set you straight.

In the little bit of spare time he has, Gary is a football fan.  He’s optimistic about the Pats, even though Tom Brady is down for the season.  We’ll soon see how well he can forecast.

Give Gary a call at Southie Appliance - (617)909-4279, or log onto garyandersonar@yahoo.com