By Dennis Higman
Marco Romero, 40, is the quintessential American entrepreneur. When he came to Ketchum 10 years ago, he spoke only the rudimentary high school English he learned in his native Peru. He started out working as a tree planter and learned how to drive a tractor even though he had never done any manual labor in his life.
A slight, bespectacled man with a winning smile and engaging personality, Romero quickly decided that if he had to do manual labor to get ahead he preferred to do it indoors, so he went to work at Perry's, washing dishes. "It was still hard on me but I didn't mind. The first reason I came to this country was to learn, and Perry's was my first school."
Even though he had never worked in a restaurant or cooked, Romero found himself making sandwiches and then graduated on to breads, pies and desserts. "The people there were very good to me, especially my friend Ceasar (also a Peruvian). He taught me everything about the kitchen."
Soon Romero was turning out 20 sandwiches at a clip and challenging himself to go faster. "No matter what I do," he says with a determined smile, "I like to do it well. And I was proud of myself for the work I learned to do at Perry's."
And while he was working all day, he went to Wood River High School at night to improve his English. Romero comes from a middle class background in Lima, Peru where he grew up, and he's well educated. After graduating high school, Romero attended computer oriented technical schools and worked for 8 years at an international insurance company, co-managing the computer department.
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He could write and read English because all the computer manuals were written in English, but he couldn't speak it well. "I felt like I was on another planet," he admits. "I didn't get the jokes; I didn't understand the culture. I had a lot to learn."
But Romero is a fast learner, and the second reason he came to the United States was to use his computer skills. So he took a job at Jane's Copy Center in Ketchum even though it paid less than at Perry's. "I was hired as a helper, a glorified janitor, but this was a whole new atmosphere for me," he says seriously. "The people you meet in Jane's are a lot different than the people I was used to talking to in the kitchen at Perry's."
He was terrified of talking to customers on the phone. "I was afraid they wouldn't understand me or they would laugh at me or complain. But I forced myself to take every phone call I could get, and pretty soon I was answering all the calls."
Romero also got promoted to work on computers and deal directly with customers. "Jane's was an invaluable experience for me. I learned a whole new set of social skills, and best of all, I got back into computers. Believe me, I was really happy. No more planting trees or baking cookies!"
But the driving force that made Romero leave a comfortable life in Peru and come to the United States was to get ahead and better himself. While still working full time, he began to buy used computers from the Gold Mine, rehabilitate and upgrade them, and sell them through notices on bulletin boards and ads in the Express.
It turned out to be a pretty good business. He began repairing computers for customers he worked for at Jane's, and six years ago, he opened Marco Romero Computer Services next to Perry's where he's located today. "I love this business. Everybody wants it done yesterday or they want me to work Sundays. I tell them I'll be there when you want me, Sundays, holidays, whatever you want. That's why they call it a service business."
Two years ago Marco Romero became a U.S. citizen. In the wake of 9/11 it was not a good time to apply. He remembers it as a long, hard process, full of background checks and studying, but he persisted. "I wrote to everybody—Representatives and Congressmen. I even wrote to President Bush and told him I needed help and how much I wanted to be part of this country." He was amazed to get a letter back signed by the President. "I know he probably didn't write it himself, but I framed it anyway and hung it on the wall.
"I came to Ketchum on the advice of friends and never intended to stay. Leaving Peru was a very emotional experience and I still miss my parents. But my life is here now and I feel at home." Romero lives in the Heatherlands with Lisa Mathews, who also works in his business, and their 16 month old son, Nicholas.
