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ShopJimmy salvages TV parts, reduces e-waste

ShopJimmy salvages parts from broken TVs, making the parts available to electronics repair shops and technicians.

Sharon Profis Vice President of Content, CNET Studios
As the Vice President of CNET Studios, Sharon leads the video, social, editorial design, and branded content teams. Before this role, Sharon led content development and launched new verticals for CNET, including Wellness, Money, and How To. A tech expert herself, she's reviewed and covered countless products, hosted hundreds of videos, and appeared on shows like Good Morning America, CBS Mornings, and the Today Show. An industry expert, Sharon is a recurring Best of Beauty Awards judge for Allure. Sharon is an avid chef and hosts the cooking segment 'Farm to Fork' on PBS nationwide. She's developed and published hundreds of recipes.
Credentials
  • Webby Award ("How To, Explainer, and DIY Video"); Folio Changemaker Award, 2020
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Sharon Profis

Flaws in shipping sometimes result in cracked, shattered, or dented televisions. Useless? ShopJimmy.com doesn't think so. The Minnesota-based company had a revenue of $3 million this year by salvaging functioning parts from damaged televisions.

Every week, ShopJimmy receives between 800 and 1,000 broken TVs to disassemble in search of sellable parts for small repair shops.

"We're looking to limit the random e-waste that ends up in landfills," said Ryan Zarlengo, marketing director at ShopJimmy.com. The company is also sparing resources by lowering the demand of brand-new replacement parts (which are far more expensive than Jimmy's salvaged parts).

But ShopJimmy has greater plans for the TV repair industry. It's looking to bridge gaps between electronics repair technicians and e-commerce, Zarlengo explained. Electronics repair technicians will be able to open their own ShopJimmy stores to sell new or used parts collecting dust on store shelves.

Eighty companies have already registered for the free service, six of which are ready for business.

"People in the electronics repair industry are dealing with cutting-edge technology, but they're late adopters who aren't internet savvy," Zarlengo said. To further connect the industry with online tools, ShopJimmy is working on Teklandia, a social network for repair technicians.

Members will be able to exchange information and build connections in a niche social media environment. And it's all free.