The Mac Ranch, which has served as the Apple-certified computer repair shop serving most of Southwest Colorado, will move to Main Avenue after the holidays.
Owner Dave Sessions said he will consolidate his two Durango businesses, Animas Underground Electronics and The Mac Ranch, under one roof at 1077 Main Ave. in February, with the full move probably not complete until March.
Animas Underground focuses on selling periphery products such as headphones, cases and projectors for Apple products, while The Mac Ranch focuses on repair of Apple computers and limited sales.
“The No. 1 reason for the move is we’ve outgrown our space,” Sessions said of the tight quarters at The Mac Ranch.
“We also have a number of clients on Main Avenue, and we wanted to increase our presence on Main.”
After the New Year’s holiday, Session said work will start at the new location. A full opening of the service center probably won’t occur until March.
When completed, the Apple-certified service center will be able to repair Apple products such as iPhones and iPads. The Mac Ranch currently repairs only Apple computers.
“If you wanted to use an Apple-certified warranty center for an iPhone or an iPad, you had to go to Albuquerque or Denver,” he said. “We want to be the long-term, regional official store for Apple parts.”
“We’ve reached the point where we can support that.”
Tim Walsworth, executive director of Durango’s Business Improvement District, said the store should be a nice addition, and a non-restaurant is especially welcome.
“We have heard comments that downtown is turning into a food court,” he said after a recent BID meeting.
Sessions said he will add more sales staff with the additional space at the new location.
He expects to add three positions, one sales manager and two sales positions.
Another feature coming with the new store will be classes dealing with all things cyber, from videos and photos to proficiency with different apps and switching from Windows to Apple, Sessions said
In addition, the store is looking to add a free weekly question-and-answer session to help befuddled tech users, and the company will also offer one-on-one coaching.
The store sold about $500,000 worth of Macintosh computers this year, and Sessions says he expects that will increase with the new store and the addition of sales of iPads and IPods.
In November, the store repaired 148 computers in-store and made 30 service calls out of the store, Sessions said.
parmijo@durangoherald.com