HOULTON, Maine — An Aroostook appliance repair technician kicked off a part-time business last summer that drew so much buzz he’s set to open a 2,000 square-foot refurbished appliance shop packed with like-new stoves, refrigerators, washers, dryers and freezers.
Lawrence Hardy, a Houlton resident and owner of Hardy’s Appliance Solutions on historic Market Square, went on his first service call in August. By mid-September, he had 50 customers and 14 appliances tested, cleaned, repaired and sold almost immediately to customers from as far as two hours away.
Before Hardy opened his business eight months ago, the region’s residents were often forced to buy a new appliance after a freezer stopped cooling or the oven no longer got hot because the closest repair technician was in Caribou and there were few used options.
His first shop was an 8-by-8 space at the back of his home, followed by a small garage-like room on Bangor Street that he quickly outgrew as calls for in-home appliance service came in faster than he could have imagined and refurbished appliances sold almost as soon as he got them repaired, he said.
Now with more than a thousand Facebook followers and a long list of five-star reviews under his belt, Hardy’s word-of-mouth draw is spreading to Mainers from other parts of the state.
Local Facebook posts from people looking for repair technicians first got the attention of his wife, Danika Hardy. And since he had dabbled in repairing the family’s appliances, she suggested he think about giving it a try, he said.
In somewhat of a big career leap for the award-winning photographer with works in galleries around the world and throughout Maine and Boston, he decided to get the training and make it official.
He graduated from Fred’s Appliance Academy, an online appliance repair certification program, and is certified for all appliances, he said.
“One day I’ll be able to look back on this 8X8 room and think this is where I started,” Hardy said in a Snapchat he sent to his wife from that first space. “I think this is the start of being my own boss.”
The new shop is a 3,000 square-foot double store-front near Houlton’s popular Market Pizza with a rear area reserved for refurbishing and testing all the shop’s appliances. In the window are several vintage appliances, including a 1950s-style wringer washing machine.
“I would never have been able to do this without my wife Danika and my son Asher who sacrificed their time and freedom to help me,” he said. “I’m forever grateful.”
Before his April 20 opening, he purchased nearly 100 appliances from around the state, some from three or four hours away that he’s had to clean, test and repair, he said.
Over this past weekend he hired three guys to help him clean the remaining 60 or so appliances. He’s now down to 20 to complete before next week’s opening. In the process, he’s already sold about 20 because customers have been dropping by the downtown space, he said.
Unlike some second-hand appliance offerings, Hardy’s are not just basic white scratch and dents.
The shop is filled with a wide variety of brands and technology, including a brand new Frigidaire Gallery stainless steel, fingerprint‑resistant convection oven with air fryer and convection microwave. There’s an innovative pedestal mini-washer that fits under a regularly-sized appliance for small loads. Not to mention plenty of modern chrome, all black or white appliances to choose from along with several all-in-one washer and dryer combinations and a high-tech see-through the door refrigerator.
He also sells installation items like water hoses, dryer and range cords and dryer vents, he said.
On Wednesday, Hardy took a day off from getting the shop ready to take care of several repair calls for some of his larger, commercial clients, he said
Hardy said this all happened because he was in the right place at the right time and it was a blessing in disguise. What he thought would be a part-time, add-to-the family income venture, has turned into a new career, he said.
“I’m not done yet,” he said. “I have dreams to build something even bigger.”
