PC Pros has been open since 2011 in the original Wellington Mall. Since that time, he has become the go-to computer expert for many individuals and businesses within Wellington and the surrounding communities.
Gillespie grew up in Wellington. His father, electrical engineer James Gillespie, brought his family from West Palm Beach to Wellington to build a new home on a large lot in Paddock Park, Phase 1.
“Wellington was a fresh, up-and-coming community,” Gillespie recalled. “My parents wanted a big lot and good schools.”
Gillespie attended Forest Hill High School before graduating from Wellington High School. He went on to graduate in 2003 from the New England Institute of Technology in Rhode Island with a degree in network engineering.
Gillespie now lives in Royal Palm Beach with his wife Cristina. They have two children together — Peyton, 3, named for Peyton Manning, and Conor, 1, named for Conor McGregor. Also part of the family are Cristina’s children from a previous relationship, Ethan, a student at Wellington High School, and Savanna, a student at Wellington Landings Middle School.
After operating out of his home for five years, Gillespie chose to open a full-service retail location focused on computer repairs. He chose the original Wellington Mall because of a close relationship between his father and the Santamaria family, owners of the building.
“My dad had a business for years in the nearby professional building,” Gillespie explained. “When this spot opened up, he helped negotiate my first lease. It’s small, but perfect. This is the heart of Wellington.”
Gillespie enjoys a healthy business as a result of his reputation, expertise and location.
“Every year, it has just been growing,” he said. “I’ve been around a long time, and everyone comes back to me. I try to take care of as much of Wellington as I possibly can.”
Roughly 65 percent of PC Pros’ customer base is personal computer users, with the remaining 35 percent consisting of small to mid-size businesses.
“I provide end-user support,” Gillespie said. “The most common problems are viruses, or the device won’t turn on.”
Having worked professionally with computers since his college education in the early 2000s, Gillespie has had a front-row seat for many technological developments.
“There is a transition from desktops to laptops and tablets,” Gillespie said. “The trend is going more mobile. Many people are on the go traveling, such as students with laptops going off to college. Everything is getting smaller and smaller. They can cram a lot of stuff into a smaller case.”
The number-one complaint users bring Gillespie is that their existing computers and laptops are slow. He fixes this issue through a process he calls “supercharging.”
“It makes a world of difference,” Gillespie explained. “I give customers options, but the speed and warranty sells them. It’s my bread and butter. I do about two a day and 40 to 50 a month.”
“Supercharging” involves installing a solid-state hard drive, which benchmark tests have shown are 20 times faster than a normal hard drive. Gillespie then migrates their software to the new drive and installs a clean version of Windows 10 with the latest software and anti-virus updates. The result is often an upgraded computer or laptop that is faster than a new device.
Gillespie offers the service for $200 including parts and labor for a desktop and $250 for a laptop. His next most common service is RAM upgrades.
Having worked in the computer industry for so long, Gillespie has seen it all, including his share of strange and unusual encounters.
“A customer moved from New York, and his laptop wouldn’t turn on,” Gillespie recalled. “I was getting deeper into the computer and heard this clicking sound. There were roaches inside. They were all over my shop, and I had to bomb it with insecticides. I literally found bugs in the computer.”
In a similar vein, Gillespie once made a call to a mechanic’s shop to work on a desktop that would not power on. When he opened the case and examined the power supply, he discovered a small mouse inside.
Another recent occurrence included a customer who brought an iMac in for a trade only to drop it when removing it from the car. An expected $400 trade-in only resulted in $50 due to the damage.
Gillespie strives to remain up-to-date on the latest developments in the industry. He relies on different web sites, including YouTube videos, Experts Exchange and Knowledge Experts.
“Everything is routine for the most part,” Gillespie explained. “Nobody knows everything. Google and YouTube are your best friends.”
PC Pros of Wellington is located in the original Wellington Mall at 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 1B. For more information, call Gillespie at (561) 420-0554 or e-mail pcproswellington@gmail.com. Visit them on the web at www.pcprosofwellington.com.