PowerMax.com

PowerMax.com is an Oregon-based Apple Certified online retailer of new, refurbished and pre-owned Apple computers and consumer products. Founded in 1994, PowerMax has grown from a small Apple specialist to one of Apple's largest independently-owned repair, online retail and Apple specialists.
History
PowerMax was started in April of 1993 by Kevin Anderson and Steve Barnes. Originally named The Right Computer Company, the PowerMax name was adopted in 1994, when the company began mail order sales of Apple products across the country. PowerMax grew quickly, becoming one of the key players in the pre-internet Macintosh mail order sales boom.
Merger with The Computer Store
In 1999, PowerMax merged with Computer Stores Northwest, which operated six Computer Store locations throughout the Northwest. Steve Barnes left the company at that time, and Kevin Anderson retained his position of President of PowerMax. The merger spawned The MUG Store, which was created to cater to Macintosh User Group members with special offers on Apple and Apple-related products (since that time, the MUG Store has been rolled into PowerMax.com).
In 2002, Anderson assumed the position of CEO of the entire organization. Subsequently, the retail locations were renamed The Mac Store, which have grown to nine locations.
Mac Store Car Crash Video
In March 2009, a car smashed through the front of the Eugene Mac Store location. The combination of The Mac Stores and PowerMax has allowed Computer Stores to become one of the nation's largest Apple Specialists. Footage of this incident was recorded on the closed circuit monitoring system and later found its way onto the internet, eventually being published on some high-profile technology blogs.
Bodelin Technologies
The company also created another division called Bodelin Technologies, which manufacturers products such as the ProScope, a handheld USB microscope that connects to a computer, allowing live recording of magnified images, and the ProPrompter, which is an inexpensive portable teleprompter designed to hook on the lens of a camera. Bodelin Technologies also released an iPhone application version of their ProPrompter software, the ProPrompter for iPhone, which has found favorable review with podcasters and broadcast professionals.
Current Status
PowerMax is notable for its human-centric approach to customer service, and as a policy the company uses no voice mail services - all phone calls are answered by a live person during business hours. PowerMax has also recently adopted "Max the Sasquatch" as its official mascot, and produced a number of videos highlighting Max's impact on everyday life at PowerMax.
PowerMax also maintains a Macintosh trade-in program, which is a considerable portion of its online business.

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