Meet Morris Polonski of George Meyer AV in Mid City

Today we’d like to introduce you to Morris Polonski.

Morris, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
George Meyer TV and Stereo was started in West Los Angeles in 1964. I bought the business from its second owner in 1987. We serviced lots of televisions, boom boxes, headsets and other 1980’s vintage consumer electronics back then. We were right on Santa Monica Blvd and had lots of people walking into the shop. The phones rang all the time. We were a busy place.

The electronics business started to change about 8 years ago. Prices dropped so much that people started to replace most of their electronics rather than repair them. I knew we were going to have to change or go under, so my technicians and I started to learn about luxury quality audio/video equipment. The kind people buy, keep for a lifetime and leave to their kids. I invested in the business and bought new test equipment and sent my guys to be trained. I had to get authorized by a whole different set of manufacturers. It was hard work, but ultimately it paid off. We started doing more and more luxury high-end equipment, much of it shipped in from outside the Los Angeles area and some of it shipped from out of the country. We changed our name to George Meyer AV to reflect the kind of work we were doing.

Last October we decided to make our next big move. We left the little retail space where George Meyer TV and Stereo had started and moved into a much larger and brighter warehouse in mid-city. Here we have plenty of room to service some of the best names in high-end audio/video equipment like Mark Levinson, McIntosh Labs, Krell, Audio Research, and Meridian. We just became Anthem and Chord authorized, the only service center for them in the United States. I don’t think any shop on the West Coast can rival George Meyer AV today. And we’re still a busy shop. Last year we repaired almost 4000 pieces of equipment that came to us from all over the world.

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?
We struggled when the market for electronics was changing. It was a big adjustment when people stopped fixing most televisions. TV repair was what kept the cash flow going! Also, it was difficult to convince manufacturers that didn’t know me, our shop and the quality of work we do to authorize George Meyer to work on their lines. Getting proficient at new equipment was another challenge. It takes years to really learn some lines. We’ve been at it long enough now that my techs and I have developed a lot of proficiency. You can’t get that from a book, you really have to diagnose and fix hundreds of units.

George Meyer AV – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
George Meyer AV repairs high-end audio/video equipment. We are known for having tremendous depth of knowledge and experience in high-end audio. Customers say coming into our shop is like coming into a museum. We do get the opportunity to see and hear some rare, unique and very expensive pieces of equipment.

My techs and I are lovers of fine audio ourselves and enjoy interacting with customers in the shop. We have customers who have been coming to us for 30 years. We also get new customers all the time and it’s a pleasure to have the chance to share thoughts and opinions about audio with them.

My shop is authorized for many lines that are very selective in giving authorization. That brings customers to us. The thing that keeps people coming to George Meyer, though, is the quality of workmanship they see in their unit when they get it back. I don’t cut corners on a repair. We know that our customers really value their equipment and trust us to return it to them in the best possible condition.

What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
Definitely opening our new shop last October. I had to look for 6 months to find the right space. When we found the warehouse, we built the shop from scratch. Each technician has a bench that meets his particular specs. I have my own office for the first time in 30 years. I am very proud of the shop we have built here.

Contact Info:

• Address: 4844 W. Jefferson Blvd.
  Los Angeles, CA 90016
• Website: georgemeyer-av.com
• Phone: 310-820-1113
• Email: [email protected]
• Facebook: George Meyer AV
• Twitter: @GeorgeMeyerAV