Acquiring Minds Trades Over Tech: Buying an Appliance Repair Business
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Oct 9, 2025 Brian Seeling, owner of PGM and a former MSP founder, shares his journey from IT to acquiring a $2.6M appliance repair business. He emphasizes the importance of choosing a solid management team and the challenges of SBA lending. Brian also discusses the satisfaction of developing his staff and the benefits of implementing tech upgrades. He offers insights into generating revenue through preventive maintenance programs and shares growth strategies for expanding his business in the competitive Tampa market.
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Commission Model Powers Field Incentives
- PGM used a commission model: lower base pay plus monthly commissions based on sales thresholds to motivate technicians.
- This pay structure draws hungry, high-performing techs and aligns field incentives with revenue growth.
Turning A Cook Into A Technician
- Brian hired a short-order cook and trained him into a technician within 18 months, demonstrating the company's internal growth path.
- Developing people into technicians is a core reward for Brian and a retention lever for PGM.
Hire From Adjacent Trades Or Train Internally
- Recruit from adjacent trades or train internally because no formal schools exist for hot-side commercial kitchen techs.
- Use senior tech oversight and staged training to scale technician competency faster than solo-owner training.
