PC-ER at a glance
• A privately owned company based in Delphos, Ohio
• Five locations inside Walmart stores in Sugarcreek Twp., Butler Twp., Lima, Van Wert and Delphos
• Up to 16 more locations planned for the next nine months, several of those in the Dayton area
• Majority of the shops will be veteran-owned or veteran-operated
• More information: www.4pc-er.com
Sources: Dominik McCreary, PC-ER general manager; company web site
An independent Ohio company has opened two computer-and-cellphone-repair shops inside Dayton-area Walmart stores and is planning more than a dozen more across the region and state within the next nine months.
The owners of Delphos, Ohio-based PC-ER have committed to Walmart that the majority of the repair shops will either employ military veterans or, in the case of franchise stores, will be owned by veterans, according to Dominik McCreary, PC-ER’s general manager.
The region’s newest PC-ER shop opened last week in the Walmart at 6244 Wilmington Pike in the Sugarcreek Plaza in Sugarcreek Twp. It joins a similar shop that has opened inside the Miller Lane-area Walmart at 3465 York Commons Blvd. in Butler Twp. The company also operates shops in Lima, Van Wert and Delphos.
McCreary said the company plans to open about 16 more locations in the region and state, including several in the Dayton area, by mid-2015. The shops repair desktop computers, laptop computers, cell phones and tablets, and are open seven days a week.
“Everyone seems to like the idea,” McCreary said. “You can’t beat having a guaranteed 3,000 to 5,000 people walking by your store every day.”
Anthony Harvey, store manager of the Butler Twp. Walmart, said PC-ER shops provide a much-needed service to Walmart customers and helps them save money on computer and cell phone repairs.
And Walmart’s agreement with PC-ER is “right in line” with the company’s commitment to military veterans, Harvey said. The giant retailer announced in 2013 it would hire 100,000 veterans over five years and would pledge $20 million to support veteran employment and transition opportunities.
Stefan Humphrey of Dayton, who served in the U.S. Army from 1985 to 2012, said he was job-hunting a few months ago when he heard about an upcoming presentation by Maggie Wannamacher, owner of PC-ER’s parent company, at an event focusing on veterans’ employment.
Humphrey, who has an associate’s degree in network systems administration, liked what he heard, applied, and now serves as store manager and lead technician at the Butler Twp. PC-ER shop. He is now exploring financing options to purchase the franchise, “and I may actually buy more than one, because this is a damn good idea,” Humphrey said.
The position “has given me some financial independence and the chance to be my own boss,” Humphrey said.
For more information, go to www.4pc-er.com.
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