In our world, tech is everything. Many of us have tasted that cold terror when suddenly faced with the dreaded blue screen of death; or felt the frustration of trying to rescue precious family memories from the technological void. But there is a lifeline, located right here in town.
The folks Bradford PC Repair, located at 94 Main St., are some of those unsung heroes of the tech world who can breathe new life into our dead devices. Owner Brian Garges has been working hard — bringing back kaput cell phones and broken PCs from the brink since starting out in Warren in 2016.
“I started out doing computer repair and related work then in 2016 I started going with the commercial cabling,” said Garges.
The business has taken off. In 2019, Garges opened a second location in his hometown of Bradford. The Main Street business has been remodeled from top to bottom, with special attention paid to the historic nature of the building.
“I found this space, which was about 800 square feet, and we remodeled everything from the windows and flooring to the paint on the walls,” said Garges. “This new location gives me a lot more space than my place in Warren.”
He can do everything from commercial cabling and networking, to PC, video game console and cell phone repairs. In addition, his Bradford location features general retail. They sell everything from DVDs to Case knives, Zippo lighters and video game consoles. In addition, Garges sells an eclectic assortment of items including local maple syrup and body jewelry.
“You just have to stop in to find out what we have here, you never know what we might carry,” said Garges. “We are always looking to try something new here and branch out a little bit.”
Garges is a bit of a puzzle prodigy. In addition to his entrepreneurial talents and technological know how, he is an analytical thinker who is always looking for that next challenge.
“One of the issues in my line of work is that it can become mundane after 15 years in the field,” said Garges. “I am always looking for that next interesting puzzle to solve.”
Garges’ store is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Saturday and on Sundays by appointment. Garges looks forward to opening several more locations.
“I am hoping this will be one of five or six stores that I will eventually own,” said Garges.
“Right now I am prospecting for new locations because I would like to get a third store opened somewhere in the Olean (N.Y.) area.”
A large percentage of Garges’ clients come from about a 30- to 45-minute radius, from either his Bradford or Warren storefronts.
“A location in Olean,” Garges said, “would give us that extra edge.”
