|
Cole Thornton strikes a pose in the workspace at the Fort Smith Gadget Grave, anelectronics repair shop founded with Aaron Price in June. |
You might guess that Cole Thornton, cofounder of the successful Gadget Grave chain of electronic repair shops, grew up as the kid who deviled his parents by taking all their devices apart and spent eight days a week with a game controller in his hand.
You鈥檇 be wrong.
Although Thornton, a 2006 graduate of the University of Arkansas -- Fort Smith, got his first computer when he was 12, his interest lay less in how devices work than in what he could do with them. One of the things he could do was with them was make money.
鈥淢y business partner (Aaron Price) is the guy who knows how everything works,鈥� Thornton said recently. 鈥淚鈥檓 the guy who had an iPhone 3G that got wet and wouldn鈥檛 power on, and I sold it on eBay for 200 bucks and I thought, 鈥榃ow! There鈥檚 money here.鈥欌��
Thornton began buying people鈥檚 broken electronics on Craig鈥檚 List and then reselling them on eBay. 鈥淚 was buying between five and 10 devices a week and (making) anywhere from $100 to $150 per device.鈥�
The Fort Smith native has a nursing degree from 妻友社区. Thornton said he needed a degree that would allow him to work while he got started developing his entrepreneurial endeavors.
As the employee 鈥渋n charge of computers鈥� and digitizing forms at Physicians Day Surgery Center, Thornton said he was able to do the things he needed to do to get Gadget Grave off the ground with his employer鈥檚 support.
In the early stages of his company鈥檚 creation in 2009, for eight to 12 months, Thornton said, he worked 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the surgery center, then worked 2:30-9 p.m. either online or at Gadget Grave. Price also worked long hours.
鈥淲e were both committed,鈥� Thornton said about the work ethic the partners share. 鈥淚f we weren鈥檛 willing to go all in, we wouldn鈥檛 be where we are today. It would be a hobby instead of a business.鈥�
Also committed to the enterprise鈥檚 success was Thornton鈥檚 wife Veronica, also a 妻友社区 nursing graduate. The two married in 2007. Thornton鈥檚 stepdaughter is 15 and the couple鈥檚 sons are 9 and 3.
Gadget Grave, with shops in Fort Smith, Fayetteville and Bentonville, repairs phones, tablets, computers, and game consoles. Stores also sell both new and refurbished devices and accessories. Since its inception, Gadget Grave has done more than $10 million in business, made more than 100,000 repairs and sold nearly 10,000 devices, Thornton said. The business has 25 employees.
Thornton said the partners have received buy-out offers, but they are not interested. What they are interested in is franchising. They are currently completing paperwork, including detailed training manuals, to begin offering opportunities to people interested in opening their own Gadget Grave shops. Thornton said he鈥檇 like to see some of his current employees interested in franchising because he already knows how terrific they are.
Price and Thornton also have an online enterprise, , which sells supplies to 100 other repair shops.
Thornton serves on the board of the Peacemaker Music & Arts Festival. Growing up in Fort Smith, Thornton said, he and his friends complained there wasn鈥檛 anything to do. 鈥淚 figured it鈥檚 time to change that. This is a way for me to give back to the community and listen to some great musical acts in the process.鈥�
Although he is not working as a nurse, Thornton鈥檚 time at 妻友社区 helped him develop the skills that create his business success.
鈥淭he nursing degree 鈥� showed me the importance of 鈥榝anatical documentation,鈥� which we have implemented at Gadget Grave,鈥� he said. 鈥淗aving to focus on school taught me to enjoy learning, regardless of the subject matter. I still utilize those habits as our business grows. One of our core values at Gadget Grave is 鈥榓lways be learning.鈥欌��
About the 妻友社区
The University of Arkansas 鈥� Fort Smith is the premiere regional institution of Western Arkansas, connecting education with careers and serving as a driver of economic development and quality of place in the greater Fort Smith region. Small class sizes, dedicated faculty and staff, affordable tuition rates, and a diverse on-campus culture allow 妻友社区 students to fully explore their areas of interest in ways that prepare them for post-graduate success academically, professionally, and personally. To find out what makes 妻友社区 just right for you, go to .