NORTH LIMA -- When Joey Spotleson was 6 years old, his idea of great fun was to go out on service

NORTH LIMA -- When Joey Spotleson was 6 years old, his idea of great fun was to go out on service calls with his father, who was the head of a J.C. Penney appliance service department.
"That's how I would spend my Saturdays, tagging along with Dad and watching him work," said Spotleson, owner of Joe's Home Appliance.
As a teen-ager, he displayed a strong aptitude for the repair business.
"I just loved taking things apart, learning how they work and putting them back together," he said.
He would practice on discarded appliances by taking parts from several different items and making one working appliance.
Opportunity: "In 1983, Penney's closed its service department. My dad had an offer to go with General Electric and work for them. It was a secure, well-paying job with good benefits, but I convinced him to go into business for himself," Spotleson said.
By learning from his father, combined with his natural ability and some formal refrigeration training, Spotleson was ready to work with his father.
Initially, they worked out of the older Spotleson's house in Boardman, strictly doing repair work and installation.
"What really gave a boost to the business was getting contracts to install appliances for area stores. We also have a lot of apartment complexes where we repair appliances and install new ones if needed," he said.
Eventually, the Spotlesons moved the business to a shop on South Avenue. When they would take out an old appliance and install a new one, they would take the old one to their shop.
"That's how the used appliance end of the business evolved," Spotleson said.
About 12 years ago, Spotleson bought his father out.
"Even though my dad is retired, he still comes in and helps out a couple of days a week," Spotleson said.
When he moved the business to his current Market Street location two years ago, he began getting into the sale of new appliances. He recently increased the size of his shop and showroom.
"We carry a wide price range including high-end items," he said.
Assistance: For the most part, Spotleson has a one-man operation when it comes to the repair and installation part of the business.
Annie Manthe began working for him two years ago. She schedules his appointments and works in sales.
"My job is to keep track of Joey, and that is no easy task. He is a ball of fire. He works from 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and handles as many as 300 calls a month, and I never hear him say he is tired," she said.
Spotleson said there is a reason for that attitude.
"I enjoy what I do. If you master what you do and do it right, it's fun to work. I get a lot of satisfaction out of this," he said.