In honor of Earth Day, we thought we’d give you a little insight into our recycling efforts. One of our goals at ShopJimmy has always been to reduce the amount of electronics waste (e-waste) produced in the US and beyond.

To acquire many of our TV parts, we recover new flat-screen TVs with screens that were damaged during manufacturer-to-retailer shipping. While the screens may be cracked and the TVs “broken beyond repair,” their internal TV parts are in perfect condition. We harvest these TV parts and then offer them to our customers to help fix flat-screen TVs across the globe. Pretty cool, right?

Well, since you’re smarter than us, you’re probably wondering what happens to the rest of the damaged TVs after we grab the new parts from them. We recycle nearly 100% of the remaining materials. We’ve partnered with both local recycling businesses and major waste management companies to properly recycle the electronics we can’t use or sell.



We also achieved ISO 14001 Certification, which is basically industry-speak for another way to make sure we’re doing everything we can to help the environment. Since Jimmy started the company in 2007, we’ve recycled over 6 million pounds of e-waste! If you want to know exactly how much we’ve recycled to date, check out our real-time recycling ticker.

Oh, and when we’re not recycling damaged TVs and electronics, we’re making cool office artwork. Happy Earth Day!

JIMMY VOSIKA OF SHOPJIMMY.COM BECOMES A TACO BELL FRANCHISE OWNER

BURNSVILLE, MN — April 1, 2013 — Jimmy Vosika, CEO and Director of Partology of ShopJimmy.com, today announced that he has become a Taco Bell (Yum! Brands, Inc., NYSE: YUM) franchise owner in Burnsville, MN.

This business development signals ShopJimmy.com’s commitment and dedication to its employees and surrounding community, as Jimmy plans to pilot new, value menu and “First Meal” items by September 2013. The deal also includes the renovation of an empty, former Taco Bell building just off Highway 13 in Burnsville. This location is conveniently located less than a quarter of a mile from ShopJimmy.com’s new headquarters.

“It’s really funny how this came about,” said Jimmy. “We settled on the new ShopJimmy location because of its close proximity to a Taco Bell, but ironically enough the Taco Bell closed down before construction was complete — so I bought it!”

Some of the new items on Jimmy’s Taco Bell menu — which he’s cooked at home for years and knows will be successful — include:

- The complete “First Meal” menu
- “Taco Balls” (Deep fried and rolled taco meat and cheese)
- “Chili Balls” (Deep fried chili cheese burrito blend)

Here is the building that Jimmy will renovate and reopen as a Taco Bell in July 2013:

About ShopJimmy.com

Founded in 2007, ShopJimmy.com is the global leader in TV parts and lamps, TV stands, refurbished TVs, and electronic accessories distribution. With a growing inventory of over 400,000 products, ShopJimmy.com made Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s “Fast 50 List” of the fastest-growing private companies in the Twin Cities. ShopJimmy.com also made the 2011-2012 INC. 500|5000 Lists, Minnesota Business Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” in 2012, and the Star Tribune’s “Top Work Places” in 2012. For more information about ShopJimmy.com and to view career opportunities, please visit www.ShopJimmy.com.

About Yum! Brands, Inc.

Yum! Brands, Inc., based in Louisville, Kentucky, is the world’s largest restaurant company in terms of system units with more than 39,000 KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell restaurants in more than 125 countries and 1.4 million associates. Yum! is ranked #213 on the FORTUNE 500 list, with revenues of more than $13 billion in 2012. The Company’s restaurant brands – KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell – are the global leaders of the chicken, pizza and Mexican-style food categories. Outside the United States, the Yum! Brands system opened approximately four new restaurants each day of the year, making it a leader in international retail development. The Company has consistently been recognized for its reward and recognition culture, diversity leadership, community giving and consistent shareholder returns.

We held the first “Town Hall” gathering in our new building with all of our new employees, many of whom were part of the Ness Electronics crew. Here are some pictures from the meeting for your Friday enjoyment!

Jimmy, Paula, Mike Ness, and Stuart chatting about the Ness acquisition and future plans!

A sea of old and new SJ’ers listening to Jimmy tell hilarious stories about the history of SJ.

We raffled away everything from Twins tickets to restaurant gift cards to an iPad Mini!

Of course, an SJ meeting wouldn’t be complete without a spread of delicious food.

A Message from Chris, a ShopJimmy Customer Service Rep:

Hey all!

ShopJimmy is six years old! So, what now?

One of my favorite David Bowie songs is “Changes.” It bounces through my brain every time I walk through the front doors of the new, improved ShopJimmy.

You may be asking yourself, with a bit of healthy skepticism, “How new?” or “What do you mean, improved?”

Well, let me tell you a little more. We moved, we acquired Ness Electronics (a fellow titan in our industry), and a few people seem to be wondering if we are gearing up to become some vast, faceless corporation. It’s a natural concern. A lot of us here feel like we’ve moved off the “Millennium Falcon” and on to the “Starship Enterprise” with our stark, polished new digs in Burnsville, MN. [Author's Note: Yes, as you might've noticed, I'm a fan of sci-fi.]

I mean, we are bigger. We are diversifying. And we are certainly shinier. We’re also going to have new policies, new product offerings, new voices, new challenges and new opportunities. We’re evolving — there’s no way around it.

What we want you to remember is this: We’re still here with you. We don’t want to take over, we want to take care. That will never change.

This isn’t us playing a George Lucas, cashing in on the same old thing by re-releasing the original Star Wars trilogy with “improved” special effects. This is more like the Beatles re-tooling themselves as a studio band after touring became impractical. They upped their game for every following album so that they could be sure every fan got the most satisfying experience possible. And I assure you, the progressing ShopJimmy will — with your help, input and patience — be the TV parts distribution equivalent of Sgt Pepper’s.

With that said, not all things are changing. Jimmy still comes to work in a battered baseball cap and hoodie, cracking away at his laptop trying to improve everything from inventory control to site applications to vending machine offerings. Jon, our Customer Service Manager, still chugs the highest octane java available at his desk, doing his utmost to make sure the tone of ShopJimmy’s Customer Service remains the same: friendly, helpful, patient and informative.

And, most importantly, we sincerely thank you for your business these past six years. Yes, YOU! Don’t believe me? Give me a call today!

Hearts and Hugs,

Chris Meger
CSR
877-881-6492 Ex. 149
Almost 3 years with SJ and still loving every minute.

2,204,284*

*The number of pounds of electronics waste we recycled in 2012! This includes…

♻ 3,795 lbs. of Paper
♻ 1,860 lbs. of Containers
♻ 885,320 lbs. of Sheet Iron
♻ 307,252 lbs. of Plastics
♻ 144,024 lbs. of Corrugated Cardboard
♻ 99,769 lbs. of PCB
♻ 34,299 lbs. of Cables / Copper Wire
♻ 10,150 lbs. of Florescent Bulbs
♻ 722,920 lbs. of TV Panels

Hey there! We’re excited to officially announce that we’ve joined forces with Ness Electronics! If you are unfamiliar with Ness, they’re a long-time, well-respected electronics parts distributor based in St. Paul, MN. Ness specializes in OEM DLP lamp distribution, components and soldering equipment, outdoor antennas, and other great CE products.

In the coming weeks, we will merge Ness — including all of their St. Paul-based employees and inventory — into our new ShopJimmy headquarters. It’s a big transition for both companies, but we couldn’t be happier with all of the insight and inventory that Ness with bring to ShopJimmy and we, in turn, will pass along to you!

Here are a few products that we’ll offer soon:

- OEM DLP lamps: Philips, OSRAM, OSRAM Neolux
- TV stands/furniture
- A broader selection of LCD/LED wall mounts and accessories
- More TV audio and speaker options
- Outdoor antennas and hardware
- Cables, connectors, adaptors, and wall plates
- Solder/desolder equipment and service tools
- Batteries, components, and more!

If you’re a current Ness customer for certain products, please continue to order through them. We will update you as we transition your account information and Ness’ inventory. Since we know Ness was a great distributor and easy to work with, we’ll do our very best to make sure your customer experience remains top-notch with ShopJimmy.

If you have any questions, please email us at sales@shopjimmy.com. Thanks!

For those who care to read more about the deal, our official press release is below.

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SHOPJIMMY.COM ACQUIRES ELECTRONICS PARTS DISTRIBUTOR NESS ELECTRONICS

BURNSVILLE, MN – January 15, 2013 – ShopJimmy.com, the global leader in TV parts and accessories distribution, today announced that is has acquired Ness Electronics, the long-time industry standard in DLP lamps and electronics components distribution based in St. Paul, MN.

This acquisition significantly enhances ShopJimmy’s inventory and market share, especially in the Midwest, as Ness Electronics also has branches in Milwaukee and Des Moines. The company, founded in 1964 by Don Ness and owned and operated by Mike Ness, is also a certified TV parts distributor for several major consumer electronics brands.

“We couldn’t be happier about this deal,” said Jimmy Vosika, Founder and CEO of ShopJimmy. “Mike Ness and Ness Electronics are so well respected in the industry and will bring decades of insight and experience to ShopJimmy. We’re also excited to continue their authority in DLP lamps distribution.”

ShopJimmy plans to merge all of Ness Electronics’ inventory and employees in St. Paul into its new Burnsville, MN headquarters in the coming weeks. Ness Electronics’ two satellite locations in Milwaukee and Des Moines will remain in operation.

“The combined strengths of ShopJimmy’s web presence and Ness’ 48 years of electronic parts distribution will make ShopJimmy a major force in electronic parts business nationwide and abroad,” said Mike Ness.

About ShopJimmy.com

Founded in 2007, ShopJimmy.com is the global leader in TV parts and lamps, TV stands, refurbished TVs, and electronic accessories distribution. With a growing inventory of over 400,000 products, ShopJimmy.com made Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s “Fast 50 List” of the fastest-growing private companies in the Twin Cities. ShopJimmy.com also made the 2011-2012 INC. 500|5000 Lists, Minnesota Business Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” in 2012, and the Star Tribune’s “Top Work Places” in 2012. For more information about ShopJimmy.com and to view career opportunities, please visit www.ShopJimmy.com.

- END -

It’s official! We’re settling into our new digs and loving them. We promise to post a few pictures as soon as the place is fully “presentable.”

In the meantime, please note our new address:

2300 West Highway 13
Burnsville, MN 55337

We are very excited to announce that we just signed a lease on a new building! We will be packing up all of our precious TV parts and products and moving to a new, larger space in Burnsville! In this new building, which is almost 290,000 square feet, everyone will be under one roof, including all of our distribution.

What’s this mean for you? Well, expect an even better customer experience, from ordering to shipping to returns and more. It’s a huge step in our continuous goal to make you, our customers, happy.

Our move-in date is scheduled for 12/21, so look for a “change of address card” soon. We’ll post some photos of our new office as soon as it’s finished!

If you’re looking for more information on our big move, here’s our official press release:

———————————————————————————————————————————–

SHOPJIMMY.COM TO EXPAND INTO 290K SQ. FT. BUILDING IN BURNSVILLE

BLOOMINGTON, MN – December 12, 2012 – ShopJimmy.com, the global leader in TV parts and accessories distribution, today announced that is has signed a lease agreement with First Industrial Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE: FR) to move into a 289,130 square-foot space in Burnsville.

This lease agreement, which is one of the largest industrial leases to-date in 2012 in the Twin Cities market, signals ShopJimmy’s continued growth and coincides with the company’s recent honor as one of the 50 fastest-growing private companies in 2012, according to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.

“We’re really excited about this move,” said Jimmy Vosika, Founder and CEO of ShopJimmy. “We’re currently operating in two locations, which makes things a little disjointed. We’ll be under one roof now and it should make all of our processes better and our work environment more collaborative and cohesive.”

ShopJimmy would like to thank Chris Wilson (First Industrial), Mike Koehler (Premise Commercial), and Bryan Van Hoof (CBRE) for their help in facilitating this lease.

“I believe this is the fifth time we’ve had to expand into a new space in our company’s brief history, so I’m hoping that this new building will last awhile. We’re adding new products — like refurbished TVs and TV stands — and services — like TV repair and tech support — constantly, so we’re looking forward to having the extra space to accommodate our growth and evolution.” said Vosika.

About ShopJimmy.com:

Founded in 2007, ShopJimmy.com is the global leader in TV parts and lamps, TV stands, refurbished TVs, and electronic accessories distribution. With a growing inventory of over 400,000 products, ShopJimmy.com made Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s “Fast 50 List” of the fastest-growing private companies in the Twin Cities. ShopJimmy.com also made the 2011-2012 INC. 500|5000 Lists, Minnesota Business Magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work For” in 2012, and the Star Tribune’s “Top Work Places” in 2012. For more information about ShopJimmy.com and to view career opportunities, please visit www.ShopJimmy.com.

Before you take a gander below at the glorious display of masculinity at its finest, we want to thank everyone who donated on behalf of our team in support of men’s health issues. The awkward stares, uncomfortable itchiness, and general creepiness was worth it, as we raised $740!

Here’s our mustached team on the last day of Movember:



In case you’re wondering, here’s their “before” shot (tragically, Movember claimed a few participants). Clean-shaven or mustached, they are a pretty dapper group!

While these tasks aren’t mandatory, we highly recommend you take note of this schedule. We’re planning a four-day stretch of crazy deals, from TVs to boards to lamps/bulbs to massive savings on some of our best-selling products. We might even throw-in a surprise or two.


Thanksgiving:

- Eat a lot of turkey and pumpkin pie. Then, you probably should eat some more.
- Spend time with your family and friends.
- Watch a little football. Heck, play a little football if you’re not too full.
- What’s that? A little hint of hunger? Mosey over to the kitchen and make a turkey sandwich.
- Fall asleep on the couch way too early and dream of our Black Friday deals.


Black Friday:

- Avoid the sleep-deprived crowds and check out our awesome Black Friday deals on many of our DLP lamps and bulbs, most popular boards, and TVs.


Saturday & Sunday:

- If you missed grabbing a TV on Black Friday, check out of weekend steals on our most popular TVs. We’ll have both “Scratch & Dent” and “Refurbished” options at the lowest prices online. You won’t want to miss it!


Cyber Monday:

- If you’re a tech/servicer, this is your Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa all wrapped into one glorious day of savings. We will have some incredible deals on our best-selling DLP chips and TV stands.


Sounds a little more fun than the weekend to-do list your parents used to give you, right? If you have any questions, please give us a shout — we’ll be here all weekend!

Have you heard of this whole “Movember” movement? It’s basically guys growing awareness for various men’s health issues (like prostate cancer) by growing ridiculously awesome mustaches. That’s a win-win in our book, so we recruited a group of 16 SJ’ers to join the cause!

Our team’s “before” picture (disclaimer: this was shot on 11/2, so as you may notice, there are some blooming mustaches):



We’ll be back on 11/30 to post the sure-to-be-hilarious “after” picture. Learn more about Movember here and, if you’re feeling philanthropic, donate on behalf of our team.

Update: Here is the “after” shot at the end of Movember!

Name: Vanessa Hernandez

Position at ShopJimmy: Bilingual Customer Service Representative

One sentence job description: Exciting! You never know who you’ll talk to next. Keeps you on your toes.

Favorite LCD breakage story: My son thinking the monster from Jeepers Creepers was coming out of the TV (because of the clear picture).

TV model in your living room: 55LV4400

Family: My fiance Robert, my son Lorenzo, Robert Jr, and Aubry

Hobbies: Family time, going to the movies, shopping therapy ;) and traveling

Favorite restaurant: Texas Roadhouse

Go-to Pandora/Spotify station: Drake radio station

Beverage of choice: Strawberry daiquiri

In-flight reading material: The local newspaper, it’s crazy how much interesting and crazy things you’ll see in there!

Sports team(s) you root for: The Oakland Raiders and the Vikings

Three things you’d bring to a deserted island: My tanning lotion, iPod, and blanket (can you say relaxation mode?)

On a web dating service, you’d describe yourself as: NOT INTO YOU SORRY! lol

You can find me on…

Every year, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal recognizes the 50 fastest-growing private companies in the Twin Cities. The honor signals a speedy growth rate over the past three years. We are pumped and excited to announce that we made the list this year!

According to the publication, “Referrals from satisfied customers have helped drive sales, and thus revenue. ShopJimmy.com also tries to spread the message that TVs can be easily fixed.”

We also received a sweet recommendation from NESDA’s George Weiss in the article! He mentioned that Jimmy is “…not the only one who started, but he’s the only one who had the foresight and ability to turn it into a big business.” Thanks, George!

You can read more about this honor here. Thanks, as always, for your continued business and support!

P.S. We think Jimmy pulls off the superhero look pretty well! What do you think?

Our website search works best when you search by TV part number, but we know it can be tricky to find the right number amongst all of your TV’s boards, labels, components, and text.

To make this process a little easier, we’ve created a playlist of video tutorials to help you better understand TV parts and their part numbers. So, sit back, relax, grab some popcorn, and learn!