Today we’d like to introduce you to Vic Segura.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Nobody grows up thinking “I want to be a lawn mower man!”. A long time ago I thought I knew what I wanted to do. Join the military and go in to Law Enforcement. I wanted a break though and took a summer job after high school with Sears & Roebuck at a repair hub in Arlington, TX. I was just supposed to be a customer service person helping people when they dropped off equipment for repair. Within a few weeks I was offered a position to be an entry level technician. Things just sort of took off from there. I became a manager for one of their mini-hubs at a local Dallas Sears storefronts.
After a few years, I moved on to work at a family run lawn and garden business nearer to my home in Fort Worth. I accepted a position as the sole 2 cycle technician at A&B Lawn & Garden. I worked there for a number of years. I learned more about the non-corporate side of this industry and was able to really get in to what I was doing. I was given the opportunity to attend yearly technical training and was able to network and I absorbed all the information like a sponge.
This industry is hard. It took a toll on me and I took a break. I took a sales position for a global publishing company where I was able to fine tune my sales, marketing, and customer service skills. I didn’t like the work but it was a blessing in disguise. The break is what I needed but I still had a hankering to get back to the lawn and garden industry.
A close friend asked me to join him on a venture that would put me back in the industry. I accepted his offer. He had just started a small repair shop in Saginaw, TX, Big & Small Mower Repair. He wanted me to handle the “small” equipment repairs. He wanted to keep it low key and smaller but I knew we could do bigger and better. The internet was really coming in to play for all businesses with things such as online reviews, social media, and an online presence was becoming a must. I decided to use my sales and marketing skills to put us out there on the world wide web. We grew. Hired on some other techs to handle the influx of new business. Alas, all things must come to an end. My partner decided he needed to scale back and spend time with family. I was not ready to take that exit on the road of life just yet.
I saw the opportunity to fill the void in our area that was about to happen and partnered up with a friend that had expressed interest in getting in to business together. I met my friend, now business partner, Jeff while we were both soldiers in the Texas State Guard. He was coming from a financial investing background and me, well, you now know my story. We opened up Pro-Am Power of Texas in February of 2016 and here we are today!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
The journey to being a small engine technician, or just in this industry period, is definitely the road less traveled. As I stated previously, nobody strives to be a “lawnmower man”. It is not a glorious career. People need your services but you rarely get patted on your back for your efforts. You have to find joy in repairing each piece of equipment. Upon completion of each piece you must take pride in your accomplishment, no matter how big or small it was.
You have to remember that when people come to see a repair center, of any kind, they are already put out that they have to take time out of their day, spend gas, most probably have a project or job that is dependent on the piece they are bringing in, and most importantly it is an unexpected expense that was most likely not in the budget. I would say that customer service is key. You can’t always make every customer happy, but we sure try!
Pro-Am Power of Texas – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
We offer sales, service, and repair. Our lawn and garden center is geared towards helping folks no matter where you bought it. That is more so unique than lots of other places. It’s our niche, if you will. Most lawn and garden centers will fix only what they sell. We fully understand that with all the options that people have these days on where to buy their equipment there has to be somebody to assist them to fill their needs as best possible. We definitely take pride in being a one stop shop. We might not always have the parts, or equipment, they need in stock but we can get them.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Well now, that’s a tough one. There is not a single moment that sticks out. All I can say is that I take pride in knowing that we provide a much needed service to our community as a whole. We do the best we can for each situation that is presented to us.
Contact Info:
- Address: 12509 N Saginaw Blvd #210
Fort Worth, TX 76179 - Website: www.proampower.com
- Phone: 817-439-8336
- Email: vic@proampower.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/proampowertx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mowermechanics
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/proampower
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/pro-am-power-of-texas-fort-worth
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