In 1963, Cal Wiseman was asked to choose between his full time job as an appliance technician with General Electric or concentrating on his side business.

His bosses at GE wanted him to focus on his work there, But Wiseman, with a family of six to support, had different plans. He took a chance and leases a space in West Seattle and begun selling house hold appliances and televisions full-time.

Today Wisemans Appliance and TV, located at 2619 California Ave S.W., is run by Cal's son Dan, and has been a fixture in West Seattle since Cal set out on his own 36 years ago.

Wiseman's Appliance is a profitable anachronism, in an age where appliance and televisions are sold in big-box warehouses by national chains, Wisemans has stayed in business and seen 10 percent year-over-year growth for the past three years. Wiseman's has ten employees.

"Those other places sell boxes, we sell merchandise and support," Dan Wiseman said. "We have survived because we give people more than what they expect."

Wiseman's Appliance and TV is on track to do about $2 Million in sales this year, the company best year ever, Dan Wiseman said.

He also attributes the company's connectivity to a continued emphasis on plain, old-fashioned customer service.

Dan Wiseman, the oldest in the family, began working alongside his father when he was 15 years old. After graduating from Evergreen High School and after two years of community college, the then 28 year old Wiseman purchased his fathers business and went to work full time.

"This is all I ever wanted to do." Wise man said. "There was never any doubt it. Right from the start I loved the business and I loved working with customers."

The younger Wiseman is also active in the community. Dan Wiseman has twice been chairman of the West Seattle Chamber of Commerce, is a past chairman of the Mayor's Small Business Task Force, past president to the West Seattle Jaycees and chairman of the West Seattle Crime Council, which helped secure a police substation in West Seattle. Wiseman also won the Mayor's Small Business of the year award in 1994.

Wiseman's daughter, Christina, 21 may be the next generation to lead the business. Christina is now working as a sales person and managing the company's computer system.