SIC 7699
REPAIR SHOPS AND RELATED SERVICES, NOT ELSEWHERE CLASSIFIED



This category covers establishments primarily engaged in specialized repair services, not elsewhere classified.

NAICS Code(s)

561622 (Locksmiths)

562991 (Septic Tank and Related Services)

561790 (Other Services to Buildings and Dwellings)

488390 (Other Support Activities for Water Transportation)

451110 (Sporting Goods Stores)

811310 (Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance)

115210 (Support Activities for Animal Production)

811212 (Computer and Office Machine Repair and Maintenance)

811219 (Other Electronic and Precision Equipment Repair and Maintenance)

11411 (Home and Garden Equipment Repair and Maintenance)

11412 (Appliance Repair and Maintenance)

11430 (Footwear and Leather Goods Repair)

11490 (Other Personal and Household Goods Repair and Maintenance)

Miscellaneous repair shops service a plethora of items such as motorcycles, bicycles, leather goods, lawn mowers, window shades, camping equipment, pianos and organs, septic tanks, surgical instruments, surveying equipment, and bowling pins. This industry also encompasses taxidermists, locksmiths, and other miscellaneous services. While many companies, such as furnace cleaning firms, specialize in one type of activity, other industry participants are general maintenance companies that supply a variety of repair and related services. The largest single occupational group is welders and metal cutters.

General maintenance workers are jacks-of-all-trades, and they work as plumbers, carpenters, and mechanics. They repair and maintain machines and equipment, for example, and fix air-conditioning systems, repair roofs and floors, maintain cafeterias, restore tools, refurbish furniture, inspect mechanical systems, and perform many other services. They are often self-employed, will travel to a work site, and work for governments, institutions, and private industry. Although earnings vary widely by industry, geographic area, and skill level, general maintenance personnel earned around $9.40 per hour in the mid 1990s, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook.

The demand for miscellaneous repair and related services mimicked U.S. economic expansion during the mid 1900s. By the early 1980s, about 24,000 companies and 130,000 employees were classified in this industry, and total revenues approached $6.5 billion. General economic growth boosted industry billings to about $10 billion by the late 1980s, reflecting a 35 percent increase over early 1980s levels. In the late 1990s, there were an estimated 36,584 repair shop establishments employing 232,800 people, with aggregate receipts of $19.8 billion.

The business is extremely fragmented. The average industry participant employed only five workers in the late 1980s and generated billings of about $340,000 per year. The average establishment in the mid 1990s had 6 employees and receipts of $441,585. In terms of annual sales, in 1999 the largest company in the industry was Instituform Technologies Inc. Other leaders were Roto-Rooter, Inc., of Cincinnati, Ohio; Leamco-Ruthco of Texas; and Siemens Power Corp., of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There were only 17 companies with annual sales above $10 million, and only four had more than 1,000 employees.

Future employment prospects in the miscellaneous repair industry are generally positive. Most occupations will realize growth of 20 percent to 30 percent between 1990 and 2005, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Jobs for welders and cutters, for instance, will likely rise about 23 percent. General management jobs, which account for approximately 7 percent of the work force in this category, will increase about 17 percent by 2005. Openings related to machinery and automotive repair will rise 35 percent, as will miscellaneous service positions related to construction.

Further Reading

Darnay, Arsen J., ed. Service Industries U.S.A. Farmington Hills, MI: Gale Group, 1999.

Occupational Outlook Handbook 1996-1997. Washington, DC:U.S. Department of Labor, 1996.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Employment Statistics. 2000. Available from http://www.bls.gov .

U.S. Department of Commerce. 1992 Census of Service Industries. Washington, DC: GPO, 1995.

Ward's Business Directory of U.S. Private and Public Companies. Detroit: Gale Group, 1999.

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