Major changes are coming at the sole remaining appliance retailer in Tamaqua.

Starting January 2013, Direct Maytag Home Appliance Center will be changing to Tamaqua Appliance Parts & Service, LLC, and will eliminate appliance sales.The firm will continue to focus on servicing appliances as well as selling parts.The change comes on the eve of the shop's 40th year of service to Schuylkill, Carbon and Luzerne counties.Owner Bettsy Hadesty, Tamaqua, says the changes reflect evolving trends in the marketplace and will allow the Tamaqua business, located at 1130 East Broad Street, to specialize in parts and customer service.Direct Maytag currently has 13 employees and a fleet of five trucks.Those resources will be reallocated as the Tamaqua Appliance Parts & Service shifts into its new role under the new name. Others assisting with the transition will be Hadesty's two children, daughter, Beth Job, and son Christian, and the full roster of employees.Beth and Christian grew up in the appliance business and contributed to its growth and expansion. Both recall the early years in what was then a start-up operation."We started with three washers and three dryers," says Christian.The business had its beginnings as early as November, 1973, when Bettsy's husband, Donald "Donnie" Hadesty, joined with brothers Raymond and Alfred in opening a part-time operation called Hadesty Brothers Appliances.The venture served an important role in the Tamaqua community, providing the continued availability of Maytag appliances previously offered by businessman Howard Williams.That early Hadesty venture consisted of a 12 X 12 storefront located at 2 Hunter Street in the Tamaqua Evening Courier building.At the time, Donnie was a full-time barber operating out of a Mauch Chunk Street shop, meaning he essentially operated two different businesses simultaneously."He would open the business at night," says Bettsy, the former Bettsy Horan of Barnesville.Donnie's brothers left the appliance operation after six months, opening the door for Bettsy's involvement. By July, 1973, Donald Hadesty Appliances was up and running, moving to a storefront on East Broad Street, now the site of Chili Dog.Bettsy managed the store while Donnie continued to cut hair on Mauch Chunk Street.In 1975, Donnie moved the barber shop to the East Broad Street store, making it the only place in America where a customer could get a haircut and buy a washing machine at the same time.After several years, however, Donnie gave up the barber profession and focused solely on appliances.Eventually, the name changed to Tamaqua TV and Appliances, featuring the addition of vacuum cleaners, Panasonic microwave ovens and air conditioners, and Panasonic, Quasar and Zenith TVs.In 1979, the store moved 10 blocks east to its present location 1130 E. Broad Street at the entrance to the former Jamesway Shopping Center.The two-story block building was originally an office complex for a plant that made construction blocks. It later served as a uniform shop.Donnie first acquired the keys to the abandoned building on Thanksgiving Day, 1978. The family rolled up their sleeves and, by 1979, had turned the building into a one-stop shopping destination for not only Maytag appliances, but Jenn-Air, Magic Chef and many other top names.The store built a reputation for excellence carrying washers, dryers, ranges, refrigerators, dishwashers, freezers, cook tops, wall ovens, hot water heaters and room air conditioners.In the early 1980s, Hadesty's business acquired the assets and customers of Corinchock TV of Delano, allowing the Tamaqua operation to expand service work for full-time for employee Ed Weston, television service manager.Also, around that time, Bettsy started offering well-attended microwave cooking classes. For customers who purchased a microwave they were given two free classes.Additional expansion and another new name came in 1996 when Tamaqua TV and Appliances became Direct Maytag Home Appliance Center, offering the area's only Maytag Red Carpet servicers, offering the consumer professional, uniformed, factory-trained technicians and installers.Sadly, on September 4, 2010, business founder Donald Hadesty passed away.The business forged ahead in his memory, maintaining the same level of quality and customer service that defined the Hadesty enterprise for decades.Now responding to changes in the marketplace, the new Tamaqua Appliance Parts and Service will allow Bettsy to spend more time with her three grandchildren while still providing much-needed service in the three-county region, in addition to portions of Lehigh and Northampton counties."We service all brands and we emphasize service," says Beth, noting that an inventory clearance sale is underway to allow the business to use available space to its best advantage for the parts and service component.Current store hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, or by appointment. For more information on products or services offered call or contact them (570) 668-3456, email

dimaytag@ptd.net or online at

http://www.directmaytagtamaqua.com.Customers also can find the business on Facebook or follow their blog at www.hadestysdirect

maytag.wordpress.com.