AMERICUS — Sumter EMC opened its Appliance Sales and Service Center in 1998, and has operated successfully for 20 years, and appreciates the support and patronage of the community since that time. Sumter EMC announces that as part of a regular review and evaluation of its business needs and priorities, the Sumter EMC Appliance Sales and Service business, located at 1120 Felder St., Americus, will be closing the first quarter of 2019 or when the existing inventory is gone.
Over the last several years, the appliance industry has evolved toward a model that is less supportive of a full-service appliance business. The trend has been toward products that contain more packaged electronic subsystems that, while more energy efficient and feature-rich, tend to increase repair costs relative to the cost of replacing the appliance. Global sourcing and manufacturing of components lowers the overall product cost but is yielding products that don’t have the enduring life or serviceability of the products of yesteryear. The net result of these trends is pressure to dispose of appliances rather than invest in repairs as was the normal tradition of the past. In addition, the options available for purchasing appliances, both local and online, have grown tremendously so that a broad selection of appliances from many different manufacturers is readily available to the local market.
As part of its evaluation, Sumter EMC has identified needs within its other core business functions that will require staffing, and employees of the Appliance Department will be able to transfer into other areas of the company to satisfy those needs. The need to exit the appliance business is a natural part of the evolution of any successful business to constantly evaluate needs and priorities and to allocate resources in a manner that serves its customers. As a member-owned electric cooperative in business over 80 years, Sumter EMC is proud to continue the fine tradition of evolving to meet the needs of and provide outstanding service to its members.