You’ve probably seen those Apple computer commercials where the cool Apple dude has it all over the PC guy.
You may even have bought an Apple. But what happens when your Apple falls from the tree and needs a fix? Visit the Apple Computer website and you see a map with a cluster of points across the Metroplex. But wait, there is one dot northeast of the others. Where is it? Why, in Bonham, of course, the high tech center of North Texas.
Grant Chapman, 27, is Bonham’s Johnny Appleseed, and he slices and dices and fixes Apple computers at his family’s store on Bonham’s Center Street. Grant, dad Bill and mom Margie, have been in Bonham just over a year, and they have built a good business around fixing PCs and Macs by mail order. The Chapman’s company, Tyrosys, Inc., is the only authorized Apple Service Center and Reseller between Dallas and Oklahoma City. “Much of our business is mail order,” Bill said. “With the Internet, we can serve people just about anywhere. The Internet is the great equalizer that makes it possible to have a high-tech business in a town like Bonham.” Grant has a long history with Apple. Computer. As early as age 8, he was helping his dad refurbish outdated Apple IIe computers and giving them to Sisters of Charity in Dallas, to be distributed to needy college students. Later, he attended DeVry and was recruited by Apple to be one of the first employees at their store at Willowbend in Plano. Even though Bill has spent plenty of years on PCs using Microsoft’s systems, he has become a convert. “Macs are all inclusive, smarter when it comes to networking and much easier to use and service than PCs,” Chapman said. “PCs are like Barbie dolls. They don’t come with all the accessories.” Tyrosys has found that success, and more and more of the cool Apple dudes are finding the high tech center of North Texas under that little flag on the Apple support map.
-D Simons
Tyrosys Corp
406 N. Center Street
Bonham, TX 75418
903-640-4900
www.tyrosys.com
I stumbled across this article on accident while researching my family history. There are a number of funny coincidences here, which may or may not be intended. I had to share.
Grant Chapman shares the same last name with the real Johnny Appleseed – Jonathan Chapman. So it is funny that he has an “Apple” computer repair business, and that you called him “Bonham’s Johnny Appleseed”.
Incidentally, the reason I found this page is because my maternal line is named Bonam (an alternate spelling of Bonham), and we are descendants of Johnathan Chapman.
And, my job is designing and developing apps for Apple devices.