A smartphone, tablet and computer repair business leased space recently near the intersection of South College Road and Oleander Drive.

Owner Ted Glackin is moving his business, Mr Phix, from a strip center in the 1100 block of South College to a 950-square-foot blue building at 1545 S. College Road.

Glackin, who has worked on computers for about 10 years, began repairing machines out of his home nearly five years ago to make some extra cash while studying computer engineering at Cape Fear Community College.

“I was on student loans, trying to make ends meet,” Glackin said. “I started fixing laptops out of an extra bedroom.”

The small repair work began to change when a distraught, bawling customer brought Glackin her broken iPhone. From there, Glackin’s business grew, with iPhone repair making up a significant portion. These days, he employs four helpers and one full-time manager and Mr Phix not only handles iPhones and iPads but also popular Samsung models. Glackin also built his own website, MrPhix.com.

Before moving to South College Road, Glackin worked out of CoWorx space in Lumina Station, then in a Howe Creek Landing office on Military Cutoff Road. He’d been eyeing 1545 S. College Road as a potential new location, which he said has better visibility than his previous addresses, for more than a year.

“It will have the absolute best exposure,” Glackin said.

Nicholas Silivanch, partner and broker with Eastern Carolinas Commercial Real Estate, handled the transaction. Glackin said he signed a three-year lease and hopes to open his new location in a few weeks.