Athens computer shop owner reflects on long history

Published 6:30 am Tuesday, December 27, 2016

In a technology career spanning more than 40 years, it’s safe to say Dean Crafton has forgotten more about computers than most people will ever know.

For nearly 30 years, Crafton and his wife Barbara owned and operated C-Tec Computers at the corner of U.S. 72 and Hine Street. Prior to purchasing the shopping center that housed their business, they had a store on The Square.

Recently, the Craftons decided to close their business and sell the shopping center. Brody Jackson, a State Farm agent in Athens, purchased the building from the Craftons.

“He’s a young entrepreneur like I was, making an investment in Athens,” Dean Crafton said. “There’s a lot of activity going on at that corner now and I’m hoping he does well there. He seems to be a very nice fellow.”

A look back

The career of Dean Crafton, an Athens State University graduate, began on Redstone Arsenal, but he eventually realized he was more passionate about computers. In those days, one computer could fill a large room and weren’t anywhere near affordable by the average person.

The Craftons opened their first store in Athens in 1987, which was an idea most people didn’t understand.

“People would ask, ‘Why do you want to open a tech center in Athens? It was mostly a farming community,’” he said. “We were by ourselves for the first seven or eight years before we had any competition.”

Initially, the Craftons sold a variety of computers for mostly businesses or anyone who could afford them. Early brand names were IBM and Leading Edge, but Crafton also sold custom-built models.

C-Tec Computers also prided itself on service, which is something Crafton said is in short supply these days.

While Best Buy may have its own Geek Squad, he pointed out most support help desks are now overseas. He added service is needed now more than ever because computers simply aren’t as good or reliable as they used to be.

He said a shift by most companies in the mid-1980s to manufacture computers in Taiwan, Mexico and China resulted in cheaper prices for the consumer, but it contributed to a downturn in overall quality.

“When we went into business, the computers cost more but they lasted longer,” he said. “When we opened, a computer might last eight to 10 years. Now they’re cheaper, but they only last three to five years.”

Big business

With the Christmas season wrapping up, Crafton recalled it being his busiest time of year, particularly in the mid-1990s. It was in the mid-to-late 1990s when families could finally afford a personal home computer, and C-Tec was happy to assist Santa Claus.

“At Christmas in 1995 or 1996, we had computers lined up with bows on them,” he said. “The computers were $1,600 to $2,500, but people were buying them. Then before the first of the year, businesses were scurrying to buy new computers for tax purposes.”

During the store’s most successful years, it boasted four to five employees who performed technical support and clerk duties.

“Our computers were in the hospitals and every city department,” he said.

Looking ahead

When asked about the future of technology, Crafton hopes the idea of reliable support will eventually make a comeback. He said viruses are a growing problem that should concern anyone who has a computer.

“It’s probably a lot worse than what the public knows,” he said. “The viruses that lurk on these computers; people aren’t conscious of them.”

This Christmas was the first without C-Tec Computers for the Craftons. Dean Crafton said he doesn’t know if he’ll permanently retire or find a different venture.

“It’s really been a change in our lives,” he said of closing the store. “We’re local people who had a business here and progressed through that. Now it’s time to move on and let the younger folks have it.”