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Way Back When... A (Not So) Brief History


Way back when televisions had dials and you only had 3 channel choices, Laurence Television was fixing TVs from the old office on Miltenberger Street in Downtown Pittsburgh. We’ve come a long way since 1964! Now you can get more than your television serviced by our technicians at Laurence Repair. Located on Mt. Lebanon Boulevard in the South Hills suburbs, we repair everything from microwaves to refrigerators to washers and dryers, and yes, even your television. We hope that our service is the first one you think to call when any appliance or television stops working the way you expect.




Our company began as Laurence Sales Co. in the 1940s. By the mid-1950s, our main business was installing and repair of high-end customized hi-fi and stereo systems such as Fisher, MacIntosh, and Gerard.


In 1960, Paul Sr. joined Laurence just as the company began to play a major role in installing and maintaining black and white televisions and master antenna and public address systems for the Pittsburgh Public Schools, and for the Mt. Lebanon School District. We also installed and maintained these systems for many apartment buildings, hospitals, hotels, churches, and correctional facilities in Pittsburgh and the surrounding areas, as well as for a number of private customers.


By the mid-1970s, we were one of the first companies in Pittsburgh to become a factory authorized service center for Zenith Electronics and Sony Corporation for the installation, set-up, and repair of color televisions. The company also began working with solid state (transistorized) electronics. Also in the late 1970s, General Motors contracted us to install televisions at dealerships throughout western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and West Virginia.


In 1977, we became Laurence Television, Incorporated.


In 1979, Paul Sr. was selected to be trained by Zenith Data Systems to serve their first line of computers: the Z-90 model. We went on to become one of the first Zenith Data Systems service centers in the region. Shortly afterwards, we were authorized to serve Star and DaisyWheel printers. The University of Pittsburgh contracted us to serve their Zenith Data System computers.


Throughout the 1980s, we aggressively expanded into the computer, age, servicing Zenith Data Computer Systems as the Preferred Service Center for several dealers, as well as for the US Army Corps of Engineers, the Pennsylvania Air National Guard, and the 911th Airborne.


The 1990s brought on a wave of computer-related business. We expanded our service into sales, beginning with Zenith Data Systems, and adding Cannon, Compaq, IBM, and other brands. We began selling printers from Hewlett Packard, Xerox, Panasonic, Epson, and Brother, as well at FAX machines, scanners, and software, particularly Microsoft.


At this point we began operating as Laurence, Inc., since the majority of our business was computer related and not simply television. We took on much of the computer-related work for the United Steelworkers of America at their corporate headquarters in downtown Pittsburgh, and frequently handled set-up and tear-down at conventions.


By the early 2000s, the computer industry had undergone many rapid and dramatic changes. Consumers were able to buy pre-built personal computer systems at the big-box stores faster than our small company could keep up with. We began to pull back from computer building and sales and shifted our focus back to consumer electronics and television repair.


Technology changes rapidly in this century. Televisions are more like computers than they are like their tubed-ancestors. Our television and computer backgrounds have dovetailed nicely together. But the changes in just the last 10 years have caused us to need to be even more adaptable. Televisions change so quickly that they are obsolete before they fail. Our society has made televisions almost disposable, and you will frequently replace your television before you repair it. In fact, we often hear that “I didn’t know anyone repaired televisions anymore!” In 2017, Paul Jr. moved back to Pittsburgh with his young family and joined the company, adding an exciting new element to our services: Appliance Repair.


Now operating as Laurence Repair, LLC, you will find our menu of services still includes television repair. In addition, we will repair any appliance, from your microwave and stand mixer all the way to your refrigerator. Your laundry room and your kitchen will run like clockwork after a completed repair from us. We are GE and Haier Factory Authorized, and excited to be LG’s latest Elite Program participant here in the Pittsburgh region. We’ve worked hard to build our reputation for quality, timely service. We are still family-owned and operated. We recognize how important it is that your machines serve your family, and we are happy to serve your family as well. We hope that you will choose Laurence Repair for your Television and Appliance needs.

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