April 2019 – BC Business has named Cell Clinic Founder and CEO, Alex Dechant, a Top 30 Under 30 2019 award recipient for his outstanding business leadership to revolutionize the pre-owned cell phone industry in British Columbia and beyond.
In 2014, when Dechant entered the pre-owned retail mobile industry in Canada, the consumer options for repairing and purchasing a pre-owned smartphone from a trusted source were limited, expensive, or non-existent. The industry had a very low consumer trust rating and it was an uphill battle for Alex and his team to shift the negative stereotype of third-party repair shops that were offering limited types of repairs, and operating without concern for quality parts, fast turnaround on repairs, consumer warranty, or without the thought of customer service excellence being at the forefront of operations.
With the growing dependency on cell phones for business and personal imperatives, Dechant saw the opportunity to offer consumers a professional and welcoming environment to receive trusted, cost-effective, and quick smartphone repairs (30-60 minutes), and a lifetime warranty on the fix. Alex was also the first in the Vancouver area to give consumers the opportunity to purchase affordable pre-owned smartphones with an industry-high warranty… helping consumers to save money while reducing the negative impact eWaste has on our planet.
"I'm honoured to receive this prestigious award – it's humbling and something that would not have been possible without the wonderful team at the Cell Clinic, and our amazing group of loyal customers that have stood with us since we opened our doors in 2014. I share this honour with our customers and our dedicated team" - Alex Dechant
About Alex and the Cell Clinic: Alex Dechant is a passionate entrepreneur and environmentalist whom was raised in Stony Plain, AB, and earned a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) Marketing / New Media from the University of Lethbridge, AB.
He moved to the UK after graduation where he opened his first cell phone repair company, Apple Tree, before bringing his ideas back to Canada in order to improve cell phone repair and sales in British Columbia, through the Cell Clinic. Today the Cell Clinic operates as BC's premier pre-owned mobile sales & service company — a family owned business with a dedicated team of professionals that have earned a solid reputation for delivering friendly and trusted service. Dechant and his team are passionate about reducing eWaste by prolonging the life-cycle of mobile devices and recycling cell phones in a responsible manner. “According to statistics provided by the national United Way organization, cell phones contain lead, arsenic, beryllium and other hazardous toxins that leach into the environment through landfills. One cell phone, if thrown away, can pollute 40,000 gallons of ground water, says Dechant!"
Dechant has recently started a new company that will put responsible electronics recycling at the forefront of its mission.