PITTSFIELD, Mass. - Mike Spelman, co-owner of Mike's Maytag in Pittsfield, has decades of experience working with appliances.

“I'm in my 51st year," Spelman said. "December 21st, last year was my 50th anniversary in the business and lots have changed over the years.”

What You Need To Know

  • Mike Spelman, co-owner of Mike's Maytag Home Appliance Center in Pittsfield, has been in the appliance industry for more than 50 years

  • Spelman co-own's Mike's Maytag with his business partner and ex-wife Sue. They opened the store in 1992

  • Spelman started his career as a delivery man at the former Harder Electric in Pittsfield

  • The Maytag Corporation was aquired by the Whirlpool Corporation in 2006

Spelman said among the many changes is the infamous Maytag repairman mascot.

“Jesse White in the 60s, he was the best Maytag repairman," Spelman said. "Then we had Gordon Jump. And then they've had a couple of others along the road. But, you still got the name out there, the old Maytag repairman, loneliest guy in town.”

Now, across the industry, Spelman said appliance technicians aren’t so lonely, having to make more repairs on systems which don’t seem to last as long.  

“Of course, back in the day, if you bought a Maytag washer, it lasted 20-30 (years)," he said. "I had a guy come in to buy a pump (for a washer) and it was 48 years old. I delivered it 48 years ago and it still works. Today, 10-15 (years) you’re lucky.”

Spelman co-owns the Pittsfield store with his ex-wife and business partner Sue. They opened in 1992. Spelman said Whirlpool acquiring the Maytag Corporation in 2006 came as a surprise, but they’ve found success in focusing on customer service, something he learned early on.

“The gentleman that I worked for when I first started told me to take care of your customers and they'll take care of you," Spelman said. "And I've got people that I've been dealing with for 50 years that wouldn't go anywhere else.”

Spelman said he has no plans of going anywhere either, taking things day by day like he has since December 21, 1972.

“I've got customers that have threatened me," Spelman said. "I'm 73 now, and they said, ‘Mike, how long you're going to do this?’ I said, ‘well, I don't know.’ And they say, ‘Well, you better be around before I need you.’ I said, ‘Well, if I die tomorrow, you're going to have to call somebody else.’ So, I don't know, I don't have any future plans. Like I said, day to day, we'll see what happens. As long as I'm healthy, we'll keep going.”