Two local men celebrated the opening of a new computer repair shop in the downtown community, priding their business on not only meeting a need in area, but also providing knowledge to its customers.

Washington Computer Repair and Consulting opened its doors yesterday, becoming one of the few computer repair shops in Beaufort County. Operated by Ronald Lundy, who also owns Washington Book Store and Coffee Company, and Cameron Bunch, the shop will provide services to area customers who need help in troubleshooting problems with devices like desktop and laptop computers, tablets, phones and other devices, Bunch said.

Both have worked on computers and other technological devices for years, mainly on friends’ devices and those of their own, they said. With a growing use of technology among all generations, Bunch and Lundy both feel the new shop will meet a need in the community, as well as contribute to the business and services offered in the downtown community.

“Basically, we just wanted to contribute to the downtown community and get some more things going on,” Lundy said. “Essentially, we would like to continue to add more businesses downtown. We want to be able to offer the best service at the best price. That’s why we opened up is to offer the best we can.”

Bunch said he first became interested in technology and computers at a very young age.

“There was one day when I was probably like 6 or 7 (years old) and my parents came home to one of their computers sprawled out on the floor, parts and all,” Bunch said. “I got into some good trouble for it, but after that, I have pretty much loved it.”

The new shop offers not only repair of devices, but Bunch also wants to educate customers on different aspects of technology, enabling them to troubleshoot basic problems themselves — something many other tech-repair stores do not offer, he said. Customers will be guided on topics like good practices when using your technological device, how to prevent viruses and even knowledge on what to think about when purchasing a new device. The new shop owners also pride themselves on being able to talk to people on a level they can understand in order to better retain the information they provide, as well as providing on-site repair and troubleshooting, Bunch said.

“I think that’s a better way of doing business,” Bunch said. “It’s not fun for customers to have to keep coming back. There are people who need to know what to do and what not to do. The information is readily available. There are a lot of shops that will fix your computer, but there’s not a lot out there that will give you the knowledge. I want to serve people, and I want as many people to know about technology as possible.”

Washington Computer Repair and Consulting is located at 106 North Respess St. in downtown Washington and is open Monday through Friday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.