Alumni Spotlight - Sarah St. John, E'88

Tucked inside sun-bleached buildings along New England boardwalks, under cover in dusty garages, or stowed away in the corner of a basement lie the nostalgic nuggets of days gone by.

Long before game systems like Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii became commonplace in homes, and computer-driven games gained a foothold in entertainment complexes, Americans had a love affair with pinball machines and arcade games. As years passed, many fell into disrepair while others simply ended up in a scrap heap, replaced by gadgetry with more robust visual displays, better graphics, and state-of-the-art sound systems. But for many, the memories of popping quarters into a blinking and buzzing Star Wars machine never wane.

Sarah St. John helps ensure that these classic games maintain their place in the game rooms – and hearts – of her customers.

A 1988 graduate of the College of Engineering, St. John has built a large customer base for her company, My Arcade Repair LLC, utilizing a knack for restoration that started when she was one of two students in her high school chosen for technician positions with Berkshire Vending Co. After receiving her degree in electrical engineering from Northeastern, St. John worked two years for a major defense contractor and 17 years for a semiconductor distribution company, but continued to maintain a steady pinball repair business on the side.

The pinball and arcade video game market may have crashed in the 1980s, forcing many companies to go out of business, but St. John discovered there was no decline in the need for repairs for existing machines. Word of mouth provided a consistent flow of customers in an industry with little competition and St. John, fueled by both her love for the games and her passion to restore them, decided to give up the monotony of a 9-to-5 existence – and the steady paycheck – and make My Arcade Repair LLC a full-time business in July 2008.

"The [previous work] experience I received, where I learned about marketing, learned about sales, learned about the business side of things," St. John said, "those are the things that helped me prepare to have my own business. You have to treat each customer uniquely. Their pinball machine or their video game or their jukebox, that’s what’s most important to them."

Twenty five years ago, a half dozen manufacturers carved out position in the gaming marketplace, but Illinois-based Stern Pinball, Inc., now claims to be the world’s only remaining pinball manufacturer. Additionally, only a handful of arcade video game manufacturers remain in operation. But those classic games – and the accompanying nostalgia – are what keeps St. John’s phone ringing.

"I think the biggest difference is the technological advances that have been made with these games," St. John said. "You went from very simple graphics to very complex movies and DVDs playing in the background. In some of the driving games, you’ve gone from very crude graphics to very complex reality scenes.

"One of the things that I enjoy most about my job is the challenge. Every day is different. I learn something new with every repair."

St. John’s decision to take a variety of engineering classes at Northeastern continues to pay dividends today.

"The programming courses I took gave me skills I use every day. I minored in microprocessor design, and nearly every machine I work on has a microprocessor. The wide range of classes I took, plus the co-op experience I got, put me in this position.

"I loved the Northeastern experience. What I really enjoyed was actually being able to work in the field you’re studying. The co-op program really worked for me," St. John said. "You can be book-smart, but book-smart doesn’t get you anywhere. It’s the experience that’s going to get you somewhere."

St. John travels throughout New England, making house calls for most of her customers. Even in a shaky economy she says business is great, and there isn’t a lot of down time.

"What’s really boosted my business is the Internet and word of mouth," St. John said. "I have over 400 customers, and it’s like they’re advertising for me. Your reputation and your knowledge will get you in the door."

After that it’s only a matter of time before that old Bally or Gottlieb machine in the corner springs to life.