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Jun 21, 2023

Former Agway site under conversion to consumer tech center

There’s a late summer opening planned for a team of local technology-based businesses at the former home of Indiana Agway along North 11th Street between Philadelphia and Water streets. The buzz of

There’s a late summer opening planned for a team of local technology-based businesses at the former home of Indiana Agway along North 11th Street between Philadelphia and Water streets.

The buzz of construction activity at the site for many months has included the complete interior demolition of the old farm and garden supplies outlet. Just this week, the façade signs went up revealing the new occupants.

They’re all moving in from 982 Philadelphia St., where they’ve operated under a single but much smaller roof. Relocating to the old Agway are:

● EmB Computing, the flagship of the group that started in 1997 during the exploding early years of the internet;

● BR Electric & Audio Visual, a heavily appliance-oriented venture which opened around 2016;

● Strike Force Security, a home monitoring system provider, also in the range of seven years in business; and

● Voyage Media Works, a website design and digital media production service that’s been running about 2½ years.

Owner Eric Brocious launched EmB Computing (his wife Michelle’s initial is part of the name along with his monogram) to formalize the business he developed by setting up home computer systems for his coworkers and friends.

The partner operations fell in line as he identified growing demands for the services.

Brocious owns the entire lineup of companies with a team of business management partners, but it’s actually his side hustle.

He’s a full-time teacher at Indiana Area Senior High School. He has 30 years under his belt and retirement planned in the next few years.

“The key for me has been, in having four companies, in having business partners on the BR and Strike Force side and on the Voyage side,” he said. And he has a long-established organization running EmB — which was born from consulting for his fellow IASD teachers.

“I manage all the back-end, the bills, the payroll, the taxes and inventory,” Brocious said. “These guys do the rest. They take care of the clients.

“It’s a good relationship. They know that through the day, they can text me, they can email me. I can call them during lunch break at school. And I when I leave school, I come straight here,” he said.

The only sacrifice of his teaching career has been giving up his after-school coaching gigs to start up and run the businesses.

Former Agway shoppers may recognize some of the interior of Brocious’ new tech center. A spacious customer shopping section, in the same place as the old days, will include two customer checkout counters and give BR Electric and Strike Force Security their first retail interfaces.

Brocious compares BR to “a small scale Best Buy.”

“Televisions, home theater, automated light systems, home security products,” he said. “And we have everything for EmB ... a full line of Apple products, there’s a big demand among college kids.”

Surrounding the retail center are the inventory and supply rooms, tech workshops, lighting system demonstration areas, a corporate center for field workers, 13 administrative offices for company officials and marketing interns, meeting and conference rooms, a kitchen and lunch rooms.

Brocious said he has put some tech-minded former students to work in Voyage Media. The service manages about 100 clients’ corporate websites, social media and advertising, and offers database management.

“We’re a progressively growing company because there’s a demand out there,” Brocious said.

The granddaddy of the empire, EmB, manages computer systems and networks for more than 1,500 companies throughout western Pennsylvania. The computer consultancy’s spiraling growth triggered Brocious’ search for a new home for his ventures.

And he has rewarded many of his loyal computer service clients by bringing them on board to complete the renovation work. A Mennonite-owned company, Springhill Woodworks, of Arcadia, is installing cabinetry throughout the building.

Another is Davis Brothers, of Indiana, the HVAC contractor on the job. Doud’s of Plumville is the carpeting vendor. The general contractor for the entire renovation is Bloxdorf Contracting, of Mahaffey.

And the list goes on.

“We do a lot of work with them so I like to give back to the guys that do work with us,” Brocious said.

There’s also Agway’s vacated storage building, sitting to the side near Water Street. Brocious has an eye on doubling the floor space to 6,000 square feet for building his inventory. That phase may be about two years off.

The first thing, though, is getting the main storefront finished and running.

“We’ve done a ton of work to get into this building,” Brocious said. “But, man, it’s paid off. We spray foamed the walls, insulated the roof, we’re doing all new parking lots.

“We’re just putting on the final touches now. Maybe in the next few weeks ...”

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