Regional resellers: Longreach & Blackall

Mercury Business Supplies (Longreach)

Jamie Worland, director

I was always interested in computers at school, and when I finished year 12 my then-girlfriend – now wife – was coming out to Longreach with her parents, so I tagged along and completed an apprenticeship in Certificate 3 Electrotechnology Computer Systems and obtained my restricted electrical licence.

My wife and I bought this business in 2006, from my previous employer. It’s a fairly even split between office equipment, home computers and small business computers, networks and maintenance. We’d like to progress more into building networks and cabling, and even into wi-fi networks, generally growing to support our small business customer base. We are also beginning to dabble in technology like 3D printing and scanning.

We have seen a slowdown in business due to the drought, but it has picked up again this year. We are fortunate to cover such a large territory – a 500km radius, which means plenty of travel.

FACT FILE

• Headcount 6
• Established 2006
• Director Jamie Worland
• Main vendors Toshiba, Canon, Ricoh, Leader Computers

Peter Shaw & Co (Blackall)

John Turner, director

We had a sheep property, and I had nothing to do with computers apart from accounting. I started with an Apple 2c with an external floppy drive, then moved on to a 386 running Windows 3.11. That started my computer work because it failed so many times I had to learn how to fix it. We went through a dry period and I did a computer course to fill in time. There was no tech help then, it was really just figuring it out yourself.

I could see what was happening with the sheep industry, so I came to Blackall. I set up an office in 1993 across the road from where I am now, started selling computers and learned how to fix them. I’m still mainly selling and repairing now, although I’m also an electrical retailer.

My original trading name was Outback Computers & Communications, and I bought the name Peter Shaw & Co because of its connections in the area.

It’s quiet here and there is no point trying to get bigger because the market is just not big enough.

FACT FILE

• Headcount 4
• Established 1993
• Director John Turner
• Main vendors Asus, Acer, Toshiba

Central Western Computer Consultants (Longreach)

Lyle Farraher, director

I was always into technology, and my father before me too with CB radios. I worked for Queensland Rail, and by 1976 they were fully computerised. I bought my first computer in September 1978 – a Dick Smith System 80, and I still have it. It would probably work if I fixed the belt in the cassette player. I then started setting them up for other people and it got to the point where I could make a living from it.

The main business is computer maintenance, sales, and contract work. I cover a fairly huge area – the greater part of Western Queensland – I’ve got a plane that is out of action at the moment.

I’ve been in Longreach for 50 years. We’re four or five years into this drought, and even if it pours and everything gets wet again it will still be 12 months before anything gets sorted out.

FACT FILE

• Headcount 2
• Established 1996
• Director Lyle Farraher
• Main vendors Lenovo, HP