The owner of a new copy center located in Campustown isn’t concerned with competition.

Alpha Copies, 2310 Lincoln Way, opened its doors in early September after Copyworks, 2502 Lincoln Way, delayed its opening for five months by filing a noncompetition clause.

“It’s just what business is about,” said John Crawford, owner of Alpha Copies.”We took it to court and they won.”

A manager at Copyworks said the business welcomed competition, but declined further comment.

Crawford said although he was ready to open his doors April 4 and legally couldn’t, business hasn’t suffered.

“Every day it gets better. New people, new faces and repeat customers,” he said. “Everybody that comes in says they are going to come back.”

A high level of foot traffic and the close proximity to the Campus Book Store, 2300 Lincoln Way, were the main reasons behind his choice of location, Crawford said.

“It’s a busy corner; there are housing developments all over here and people walk by to get to the Union,” he said. “There’s a lot of foot traffic and it is every bit as busy, if not busier, than Welch Avenue.”

Crawford said one reason he wanted to open a business in Campustown was the students.

“I enjoy being downtown, but I want to work around college kids – they keep me young,” he said. “I also hope in some way we can impact a student’s time here at Iowa State.”

A welcoming environment and personal service is what Crawford said he hopes will set him apart from Copyworks.

“What we offer here is not just exchanging money but a pleasant environment – and we care,” he said. “Businesses should look outside the revenue stream to just talk sometimes.”

Crawford also said he can be more accommodating than Copyworks in terms of hours of operation. He said he understands that certain times during the semester are busier than others, such as midterms, dead week and finals week.

“We have fairly open hours,” Crawford said. “We are not run by corporate so as demands are needed, someone can call and say ‘can you stay open late’ and we can do that.”

Copyworks owners Letha and Archie Wierson refused to comment after several messages were left over the past week.