About Us

Computer repair started as a hobby for Ralf Beinder. Computers first piqued his interest in the late 1970’s when computers were expensive toys and Ralf was just a child. Most of his skill is self-taught, but after much thought, he chose to go to college for a formal education in computer servicing. After earning an Associates of Applied Science degree in Computer Servicing in 2004, Ralf advertised his skill in the classifieds. He quickly gained enough business working from home to consider opening a store.

The Computer Center of Lucedale first opened its doors for business on July 5, 2004 in the Palm Plaza shopping center, next to Pizza Hut. To begin with, Ralf and his first employee repaired mostly desktop computers. To meet the demand for computer repairs. A few months later, the store experienced its most difficult challenge as the Gulf Coast was crippled in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. The Computer Center struggled through the uncertainty and regained stability as life returned to normal for the residents of Lucedale.

Over time, more and more laptops needed repair. Ralf was inspired to diversify the services offered as laptops gained popularity, which resulted in the Hot Spot being opened in the building adjacent to the Computer Center. The Hot Spot led the way for establishments offering free WiFi in Lucedale and quickly became a very popular spot to grab a snack and surf the web. Unfortunately, Ralf’s dad became terminally ill in early 2008 and Ralf found himself spending every other week in South Carolina. With the stress of his father’s illness and the constant travel, Ralf chose to focus more on his real passion — the Computer Center — and closed the Hot Spot.

The Computer Center outgrew its location in Palm Plaza and Ralf decided it was time to relocate. The new location on Winter Street was opened on July 1, 2008 and had three times the square footage to work with, but only half of the building was initially utilized. At this time, the Computer Center had four employees. As business continued to grow, more technicians were hired and the front half of the building became a retail store front offering customers accessories and parts for their computers, in addition to the repair services. The Computer Center continued its diversification with the addition of services such as network installation and commercial IT Maintenance Contracts in 2009; and in 2011, remote data backups, and Customer Care Plans were added.

Uni-Tech continues to grow and evolve, and now employs eleven people, ten of which are full-time. Extensive remodeling in the shop throughout 2012 has resulted in the addition of a conference room, secure data center, executive office, and a warehouse for shipping and receiving, as well as improvements to the layout of the work benches for the techs. More remodeling is planned as Ralf finalizes his plans for updating the front of the store. We hope you will come by and see how much Uni-Tech has grown over the years.