After years of experience in business IT support, Jay Baruffa is hoping to bring technology solutions to consumers at his new Painesville Township repair shop.
One way he hopes to do that is by helping them get the most out of their existing devices.
“Times are tight, people want to keep stuff going longer, get a little bit more life out of their electronics,” Baruffa said. “So, a new battery, new screen on a phone and you can be good as new in no time.”
His Little Mountain Phone and Computer Repair set up shop earlier this spring at 1922 Mentor Ave., in Painesville Township’s Emerald Pointe Plaza. The business is planning to hold a grand opening celebration on June 17, where it will highlight its services and offer discounts, refreshments, a raffle and more.
Baruffa said that Little Mountain offers repair services for devices like phones, computers, tablets, game consoles and drones. He jokes that the shop can probably fix a device “if it plugs in and has a blinking light.”
Technician Josh Weaver added that the business also recovers data from devices with liquid damage.
“We’re not here to say, ‘Oh, sorry, your phone’s broken, here’s a new one, have fun,’” Baruffa said. “Our solutions are a little bit more in-depth, white glove.”
Weaver said the company works with a wholesaler to sell computers that were purchased in bulk by large corporations but not all needed. Little Mountain also sells devices that he said worked fine but were returned by customers because the devices were not for them.
Baruffa added that Little Mountain does custom gaming computers.
“We don’t really sell products, we sell solutions,” he said. “We want to try to get people the best solution for whatever their problem is.”
The shop aims to provide higher quality service, Baruffa said. Customers can sit down with him to discuss technology needs, and the shop will also take time to sit down with them and show them how to use their new devices. He wants them to feel more comfortable with their technology.
Little Mountain also partners with the Junkluggers. Weaver said the group can “ethically dispose” of old devices and destroy the data.
“Keeping stuff out of the landfill is the highest priority,” Baruffa added.
Baruffa said that he has IT experience dating to high school. He joined Tech Dynamix, which is now next door to Little Mountain, when it started in 2006. Tech Dynamix transitioned to a focus on business IT around the time of the Great Recession, and Baruffa bought out the previous owner in 2020.
He said that he has received calls from business clients over the past five years asking if Tech Dynamix helps with personal devices or sells equipment. He and technician Noah Hadden started Little Mountain Computer Repair around the New Year.
The “phone” part of the name was added after Weaver joined in the spring, Baruffa said. Little Mountain also bought out Lake County iPhone Repair in May.
He said that Tech Dynamix has worked over the past decade to bring IT knowledge from Fortune 500 companies to small businesses. Now, Little Mountain aims to bring technologies from small businesses to consumers.
Baruffa said that he aims to provide a “better quality” service than other providers. The choice of the name Little Mountain reflects a desire for something “a little bit more upscale” than a “generic techie” name.
“We’re definitely trying to be, like I said, the more upscale, so there’s the connotation with the country club and some of the other Little Mountain-themed named businesses in the area,” he said.
Baruffa added that while mountains can represent challenges, his shop aims to show customers that their technology problems are “just a little mountain” and they can get over those challenges.
Over the summer, he plans to launch the Little Mountain Computer Club. It will provide managed IT services to subscribed home users, including managed antivirus, backup and remote support tools.
Community celebration
In order to celebrate the business and its new location, Little Mountain Phone and Computer Repair is planning a grand opening and ribbon cutting event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 17.
In addition to “exclusive repair discounts,” an announcement said that visitors can expect food from Smoke BBQ Grill and the Scooter’s Ice Cream Truck. The Junkluggers will also be on site, and visitors can bring old devices like cellphones and computers for recycling.
Baruffa said there will also be demonstrations and a flight simulator.
“We’re just really looking to have a good time, celebrate and share what we do with the community and hopefully get the word out that we’re here and we’re wanting to help,” he said.
Little Mountain Phone and Computer Repair is open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays. Baruffa said that the best contact method is to call 440-299-3000. The company can also be reached at [email protected], it operates a website at lmpcr.com and it posts to Facebook.
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