By Tina Snell, Staff Writer
Adam Fjeld, Little Falls, recently opened a Web store called Dam Computers and Electronics. He applies his expertise of electronics to his love of finding a good deal to create a new, unique place to shop.
Dam Computers and Electronics, a Web store, opened for business officially in December 2009, and owner Adam Fjeld, Little Falls, made his first sale from that site in February after amassing his inventory. He has a passion for finding the best deals on just about anything and loves passing the low costs to his customers.
“Business has grown so much in the last six months, I cannot keep up,” he said. “The Web site gets about 300 unique hits per day and I’m considering a possible retail site.”
Fjeld’s new business came about when working at Camp Ripley as its data base administrator and Internet technology specialist. He currently maintains 54 servers and the data bases across the country at all the military training facilities.
“When a large number of soldiers were being deployed, they asked me to get them inexpensive laptops to bring with them,” said Fjeld. “I was able to, and then more soldiers from elsewhere were asking for them, too. Then their friends and family were asking. I was also doing repair work in my spare time.”
Then people began asking Fjeld about appliances, televisions and more.
“I then set up a Web site and eventually listed the inventory I had available,” he said. “I’m now buying inventory by the pallet.”
Fjeld is the son of Denny Fjeld, the owner of Denny’s Floor Covering in Little Falls. He moved here in 1993, and graduated from Little Falls Community High School.
“My class was the first in Morrison County to have Internet access in 1995,” he said. “We were given a directory, like the yellow pages, of all the available Web sites.”
Fjeld eventually went to Brown College, graduating in 1999, with a degree in personal computers and local area networks.
“After Y2K, computer interest died and there weren’t many jobs available,” he said. “Businesses put so much money into preparing for Y2K, they weren’t hiring.”
Fjeld found a job with Dain Rauscher and he worked there for five years on the computer-help desk in the central office in Minneapolis. He was the go-to guy for all 267 Dain Rauscher offices in the country.
From there, he was promoted to work station analyst and any call to the help desk that couldn’t be resolved went to him.
“I was in charge of 267 servers and branch offices,” he said.
Fjeld’s last project with Dain Rauscher was to upgrade all the computers from Dells to IBMs, and from Windows 2000 to Windows XP.
“My son was born just before I left for New York City,” he said. “The job wasn’t fun anymore.”
When a friend called to ask if Fjeld would consider returning to Little Falls and working at Camp Ripley temporarily in the place of a deployed soldier, he took the job.
The Web store, found at www.damcomputersandelectronics.com, lists Fjeld’s services, such as electronic and computer sales and service, and the store’s current inventory. It shows the retail Best Buy price along with his price. It will also tell visitors the size and color of the appliances. All his products are new, factory sealed in their original packaging. Every appliance and electronic device has a manufacturer’s warranty.
Fjeld said the name of his business is a play on words. It partially came from the Little Falls Dam and partially from the words that come out of frustrated computer users’ mouths.
“I enjoy doing this,” Fjeld said. “I have always been able to find things cheaper since I was a teen. If I can make extra money along with saving money for others, I’m happy. I have the skill and want to share.”
