There’s a place where old desktop computers, laptops, cell phones, entertainment systems and every kind of tech equipment goes for a chance at a second life. Sunnking Electronics Recycling in Brockport gave our Computer Technology seniors an inside look at this tech wonderland.

Director of Ecommerce Nick Castronovo led the students on a behind-the-scenes tour. The company relocated in 2016 to double their floor space, which is evidence of the demand for their services. Students saw employees testing and prepping equipment for reuse. At one workstation, up to 12 laptop computers are simultaneously diagnosed, have their hard drive wiped clean, and Windows software installed. When computers are fully restored, the higher quality equipment goes to Sunnking’s retail store in Brockport. Other equipment is sold wholesale.

For a group of students who’ve done their share of tearing apart tech equipment, the work going on at Sunnking wasn’t a surprise. The eye-opener was the quantity of the equipment waiting to be tested, disassembled, repaired, or recycled. Also, students were intrigued by unexpected things they saw, such as computers from the 1990’s (“from the AOL days” as one student quipped) or a bin full of earbuds that included the most recent models.

Through Work-Based Learning, Sunnking and the Computer Technology program are planning a co-op project that can be done on site at WEMOCO. Computers will be delivered from Sunnking and students will run the diagnostics. Our students will aid the great demand for this work. For example, Sunnking was working on 4 pallets full of retired Chromebooks when the students visited.

The enthusiasm of the students was obvious. Phil Bove, Sunnking’s Director of IT Asset Disposition, said that our students’ training “would put them at the top of the list for jobs here.”