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By Mark Miller (West Coast Correspondent) |
In 1974 William Smith migrated to the United States. Twelve years later he started his own business, Alternative Pager Repair, in a garage. By 1990 he was forced to move to larger premises to accommodate the increasing volume of business. Today the company provides employment for over forty-five individuals and it services several major electronic corporations across the USA.
The story of Smith's rise to success is a story of hard work and dedication. And it started long before he arrived in the United States.
At twelve years of age, this young Guatemalan lad, then living in Belize, lost his father. Realizing that he had to make things happen for himself, he finished high school and then enrolled in the local Wesley College in the Sixth form.
After graduating sixth form, and working as a sewing machine mechanic, Smith realized that he needed to migrate to America to reach his true potential. By then he was married to Monica, young girl he had met along the way and with whom he found much in common.
Arriving in Los Angeles, Smith attended school in the daytime to obtain his engineering degree in electronics while he worked at night as a janitor to support his growing family.
After ten years of dedicated work at another company, William Smith found himself without a job to feed his family which then included six children. He decided to leave the unemployment line where so many of the young Caribbean-African-American and American men languished during the middle 1980's and launch out on his own. And so Alternative Pager Repair was born.
Putting in long hours, Bill built his company into one of the foremost independent electronic technical repair facility in California. Standing side by side with him was his wife. Success came quickly and in 1990 the business relocated in Hawthorne California
Bill's believes that each person deserves an opportunity to rise as high and as he or she can. And so he goes out of his way to provide that opportunity to his many employees.
For William Smith the road to success was not without its potholes. He had to contend with the somewhat indifferent attitude of the banking system towards minorities and the challenges of surviving the 'consolidation of the 1990's'. But he understood the principles that provides an edge in the business world - a sound business strategy, good customer relations, providing quality service and having a motivated staff.
Today Smith is applying the same principles to his new venture, Irie Records - a music company and record label which has already achieved a commendable measure of success.
Alternative Pager Repair and Irie Records can be reached at (310) 644 7780.