The 20 MSP Acquires Cirrus IT Solutions, Strengthens National Presence

PLANO, TX. July 3, 2023 – The 20 MSP, a leading provider of managed IT services, today announced its acquisition of Cirrus IT Solutions (CEO – Brad Storz), a highly regarded IT company serving clients in Knoxville, Tennessee and the surrounding area.

This deal marks the twenty-second acquisition for the rapidly expanding company, and the ninth of the year. The 20 seeks to solidify its national footprint through a combination of organic growth and strategic M&A deals.

Cirrus IT Solutions thrived as a member of The 20 MSP Group, a business development “co-op” dedicated to fostering growth among forward-thinking managed service providers (MSPs) looking for help with scalability, sales, and service delivery. The company’s commitment to excellence and client empowerment propelled them to prominence in the Knoxville area, and their consistent growth led to their inclusion in The 20 Elite, an exclusive tier reserved for top-performing MSP members.

The 20’s leadership team is excited about the partnership and eager to deepen its relationship with the talented Cirrus group.

“Today is a great day for both companies and, most importantly, for our collective client base,” said The 20’s Chief Executive Officer and founder, Tim Conkle. “Cirrus brings a lot to the table, including a first-rate team of motivated individuals who understand that the core of what we do is service. Brad’s commitment to excellence impressed us from the get-go, and I’m confident that his leadership and in-depth knowledge of our industry will continue to help The 20 distinguish itself on the national stage,” Conkle added.

This most recent deal by The 20 will not be the last, as the company has a full pipeline of acquisition candidates, all of which belong to The 20 MSP Group. As Conkle explained, acquiring MSPs exclusively from the group enables a powerful M&A strategy that builds on preexisting synergies and relationships.

“The companies we’re acquiring are all MSPs we’ve worked with closely on a long-term basis,” said Conkle. “This not only allows us to cross the t’s and dot the i’s quickly and with minimal disruption to end clients, but also, it means we’re building on relationships that have been firmly established – not trying to create compatibility from scratch as it typically the case in deals like this.”

The 20 remains steadfast in its M&A strategy, and is poised to sustain its acquisition momentum throughout the remainder of 2023. The organization’s rapid expansion and distinctive consolidation approach have garnered significant industry recognition, solidifying the company’s status as a prominent player in the competitive M&A landscape.

“We’re thrilled by how far we’ve come, and how successful this roll-up has been so far,” said Conkle. “But there’s more work to be done, and our passion and commitment are as strong as ever.”

Pinecrest Capital Partners served as the exclusive financial advisor to The 20 MSP on the acquisition and associated financing.

Manus Dei Joins The 20 Family!

The 20 MSP expands its reach with the acquisition of Manus Dei, a prominent MSP in Northern Virginia.

We did it again! Another acquisition in the books, another step taken in our ambitious M&A plans. The 20 MSP is proud to announce our acquisition of Manus Dei, a highly regarded MSP with clients across Northern Virginia. A warm welcome to Fred Duca and his whole team!

Manus Dei
Northern Virginia
Owner: Fred Duca
Website

This makes eight acquisitions for the year, and a total of twenty-one since we started our ‘M&A spree’ in 2022. That’s a lot of deals inked. A lot of exciting moments. A lot of work. And yes, a lot of fun.

But we don’t want to focus exclusively on how many MSPs we’ve acquired, even though we are proud of the M&A run that we’re currently on. That’s because each deal is unique, and every MSP we acquire brings something different to the table. Our M&A process might be highly standardized, but the relationships we have with these MSP owners and their teams are anything but.

And that’s what this is all about at the end of the day, this growth journey that we’re on: it’s about building relationships with real people who need our help. That’s what’s behind all the numbers. That’s what makes this big, beautiful engine run.

The Power of Service

It’s not a coincidence that this latest acquisition has us thinking about relationships, service, and people. Manus Dei’s client base consists largely of schools, parishes, and nonprofits, and their shining example is a powerful reminder that, in business, being successful and service-oriented aren’t mutually exclusive – and in fact, often go hand-in-hand.

If you’re in the MSP game and you don’t believe this … good luck. There’s a reason it’s called managed services. MSPs succeed when they help their clients succeed. When you boil it all down, it’s really that simple.

The success of The 20 MSP Group (not to be confused with The 20 MSP) and the success of our MSP members also speak to the power of service – of helping others with genuine goodwill. We give our members tools and processes to help them succeed, and our MSP blueprint plays an undeniable role in their growth and progress. But equally important is what members give each other. Until you witness it for yourself, it’s hard to truly understand, but The 20 isn’t just a group of MSPs that work together; it’s a group of people who really care about each other and who want to see each other succeed.

With that, we’d like to extend another warm welcome to the Manus Dei team. We look forward to working with your people to bring our collective client base real value. Here’s to making it happen together!

What’s Next for Us?

Our plan for the remainder of the year is to continue expanding The 20 MSP through a combination of organic growth and vigorous M&A activities. Our aim is to solidify our national footprint and establish a strong presence in every major metropolitan area in the US, before we begin acquiring companies within the same markets, building upon existing foundations and subsequently scaling those markets for further growth.

The MSPs we’re acquiring all come from The 20 MSP Group, and, as our CEO Tim Conkle recently explained, that’s what makes our M&A strategy so efficient: “We don’t have to go hunting for quality MSPs and then figure out how to integrate them. The secret sauce is that we actively cultivate these MSPs through our group, ensuring they embody our values and way of doing business long before any deals are on the table.”

And although not every MSP in The 20 MSP Group is interested in selling, a good number are. Our acquisition pipeline is full, and at the risk of sounding like a broken record …

This is just the beginning!

Stay tuned for more M&A news from The 20 and make sure to visit our newly launched M&A page, a great free resource for managed service professionals who are curious about consolidation, or even ready to get in on the action.

Don’t Forget to Register for VISION ’23!

Want to experience the power of connection and get a taste of the incredible community that exists here at The 20?

Join us this August at VISION ’23! VISION is The 20’s annual conference for growth-minded MSPs and IT professionals. Since we started the conference back in 2017, VISION has grown into one of the premier events of the channel, attracting hundreds of MSPs from all across North America for 2+ days of game-changing insights, growth strategies, and the best party in the IT space.

Are you ready to take your MSP from good to great? Your growth starts with VISION. Get your ticket today.

The 20 MSP Group Announces Audrey Conley as New HR Director

Leading MSP organization, The 20 MSP Group, today announced the appointment of Audrey Conley to the position of Human Resources Director.

Full press release here

Conley brings more than fifteen years of experience to the role, and a deep understanding of how to leverage HR best practices to boost employee retention, nourish company culture, and optimize the employee experience. She boasts an impressive track record of guiding organizations through complex business, financial, and compliance challenges, and possesses a rare combination of organization, analytical, and conceptual abilities. Conley’s previous roles include Director of Human Resources at Mohr Partners and Human Resources Consultant at HumCap.

“Audrey is a motivated and accomplished leader, and a tremendous addition to our team,” said Ken Pecot, COO of The 20. “She understands the importance of a healthy company culture to our broader corporate vision, and we have full confidence that her expertise will propel business forward and play a huge role in attracting, retaining, and developing top talent. During this period of rapid expansion for The 20, this focus on talent becomes even more crucial, and Audrey’s contributions will be invaluable in shaping our success,” Pecot added.

“I am incredibly excited to be stepping into the role of HR Director for The 20,” said Conley of her appointment. “This is a company that really appreciates the value of its people and prioritizes their success by providing the necessary resources and support. I’m looking forward to crafting and executing HR strategies that align with The 20’s organizational goals, attract the best talent in the industry, and cultivate an environment of teamwork and advancement.”

In her role as HR Director, Conley will oversee all HR functions and serve as a member of The 20’s executive leadership team, which includes Tim Conkle (CEO), Ken Pecot (COO), Crystal Conkle (CMO), Michael Bone (CRO), Ciera Cole (CXO), Donna Pebworth (CFO), and Ken Nix (CISO).

Full press release here

The 20, leading MSP consortium, announced today that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Ciera Cole, CXO, and Crystal Conkle, CMO, to the 2023 Women of the Channel Power 80 Solution Provider list— a subset of prominent executives selected from the CRN 2023 Women of the Channel list.

The CRN 2023 Women of the Channel honorees bring their creativity, strategic thinking, and leadership to bear, turning their unique talents toward driving success for their customers and technology partners. The annual Power 80 Solution Provider list honors the most influential women in leadership at some of the country’s most prominent solution providers, based on their remarkable expertise, channel advocacy and contributions to building solution provider businesses that thrive.

The women who populate the Power 80 Solution Provider list have gone above and beyond with their extraordinary commitment to the IT channel community, implementing strategies that have accelerated the success of their customers and technology partners—and the broader channel ecosystem as a result.

Ciera Cole serves as Chief Experience Officer at The 20. In her role as CXO, Cole spearheads The 20’s efforts to provide its MSP members with one unified experience, securing retention, growth and satisfaction. Cole studied business at Baylor University and later received her MBA from Southern Methodist University while working full-time at The 20. This is her fifth time appearing on the Women of the Channel list.

Crystal Conkle is a proven marketing leader with nearly two decades of experience in B2B marketing, demand generation, marketing communications, lead nurturing, content strategy and multichannel marketing for the IT industry. In her current role as Chief Marketing Officer at The 20, Conkle draws on her marketing expertise and entrepreneurial experience to translate business objectives into marketing strategies, facilitating growth and scale for both The 20 and its MSP member network. Conkle holds a bachelor’s degree, MBA and M.A. from the University of Texas at Dallas. This is her fifth time appearing on the Women of the Channel list.

“We are ecstatic to announce this year’s honorees and shine a light on these women for their significant achievements, knowing that what they’ve accomplished has paved the way for continued success within the IT channel,” said Blaine Raddon, CEO of The Channel Company. “The channel is stronger because of them, and we look forward to seeing what they do next.”

The 2023 Women of the Channel list will be featured in the June issue of CRN Magazine, with online coverage starting May 8 at https://www.CRN.com/WOTC.

About The Channel Company
The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end-users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. https://www.thechannelcompany.com

CRN’s 2023 Women of the Channel Honors Ciera Cole, Crystal Conkle, and Misty Kaufman of The 20

Plano, Texas May 8th, 2023 — The 20, leading MSP consortium, announced today that CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, has named Ciera Cole (CXO), Crystal Conkle (CMO) and Misty Kaufman (Marketing & Vendor Relations Manager), to the Women of the Channel list for 2023. Every year, CRN recognizes women from vendor, distributor, and solution provider organizations whose expertise and vision are leaving a noticeable and commendable mark on the technology industry.

The CRN 2023 Women of the Channel honorees bring their creativity, strategic thinking and leadership to bear in a variety of roles and responsibilities, but all are turning their unique talents toward driving success for their partners and customers. With this recognition, CRN honors these women for their unwavering dedication and commitment to furthering channel excellence.

Ciera Cole and Crystal Conkle were also named to the 2023 Women of the Channel Power 80 Solution Provider list— a subset of prominent executives selected from the CRN 2023 Women of the Channel list.

Ciera Cole serves as Chief Experience Officer at The 20. In her role as CXO, Cole spearheads The 20’s efforts to provide its MSP members with one unified experience, securing retention, growth and satisfaction. Cole studied business at Baylor University and later received her MBA from Southern Methodist University while working full-time at The 20. This is her fourth time appearing on the Women of the Channel list.

Misty Kaufman is the Marketing & Vendor Relations Manager. Her role is to bridge communication gap between The 20 members and vendors. Misty is able to bring every element of an event together seamlessly. This is her first time appearing on the Women of the Channel list.

“It’s incredibly exciting and heartening to see three women from our company recognized on this year’s Women of the Channel list,” said Tim Conkle, CEO of The 20. “Ciera, Crystal, and Misty possess unique and invaluable skill sets, but one thing they all share is a hunger for innovation, and their relentless pursuit of excellence has been instrumental to our nationwide growth.”

The 2023 Women of the Channel list will be featured in the June issue of CRN Magazine, with online coverage starting May 8 at www.CRN.com/WOTC.

About The Channel Company

The Channel Company enables breakthrough IT channel performance with our dominant media, engaging events, expert consulting and education, and innovative marketing services and platforms. As the channel catalyst, we connect and empower technology suppliers, solution providers, and end-users. Backed by more than 30 years of unequaled channel experience, we draw from our deep knowledge to envision innovative solutions for ever-evolving challenges in the technology marketplace. www.thechannelcompany.com

Follow The Channel Company: Twitter and LinkedIn.

The Channel Company Contact:

Natalie Lewis

The Channel Company

[email protected]

CST Joins The 20 Family!

We’re proud to announce the latest move in our ongoing M&A spree – the purchase of Computer Support Team, a high-performing MSP based in the San Fernando and Conejo Valley areas.

Full press release here

If you thought our M&A spree was slowing down, think again! We’re excited to announce the completion of our twentieth MSP acquisition since we began our buying spree last year. The latest MSP to join The 20 team is Computer Support Team (CST), an elite MSP headquartered in California and led by CEO Scott Palmquist.

Like the other nineteen MSPs we’ve acquired, CST achieved remarkable growth and success as part of our MSP membership co-op, The 20 MSP Group. CST’s year-on-year growth and proven track record of client satisfaction marked them out early as an acquisition candidate, and we’re excited about closing this deal and adding yet another talented team to The 20 family.

Our mission at The 20 isn’t just to get bigger, but better too, and it’s vital that the MSPs we acquire all share our fanatical devotion to client success. CST certainly does, and their ‘go-above-and-beyond’ culture pervades everything they do. Needless to say, we’re pumped to start working with our new team members to bring our collective client base even better support.

Relationships: The Heart of the M&Atter

While consolidation activity remains high in the MSP space, our M&A approach continues to distinguish itself. Specifically, the MSPs we’re acquiring all belong to our membership co-op, The 20 MSP Group. This means we’ve worked closely with these companies, oftentimes for several years. As a result, there’s a deep compatibility already in place – the sort of harmony that’s difficult to manufacture on the fly.

In more concrete terms, the MSP owners whose companies we’re acquiring aren’t handing us the keys to something they’ve built so they can walk away. On the contrary, they’re selling their MSPs to us so they can be a part of something special. The proof’s in the pudding. As our CEO Tim Conkle recently shared with CRN, the owners of 18 out of the 19 rolled-up MSPs are still with The 20, working in leadership roles that allow them to focus on their strengths.

Kevin Peterson sold his MSP to The 20 in September of last year, and has, since then, been relishing his new role within our company. “I’m loving working as an employee of The 20. I’m regional VP of the Midwest … I’m an operator at heart, so I’m able to focus most of my time on doing what I’m really good at and what I love doing.”

This was music to our ears, as we firmly believe that the key to success in the MSP space – and the key to making M&A magic – is putting the right people in the right seats. As we continue to consolidate, we’ll continue to place MSP owners in positions that allow them to thrive.

But what makes us so confident that these owners-turned-employees will be as invested in The 20 as they were in their own companies?

In a word, because The 20 is the company that helped them find success in the first place! So, the MSP owners who are placed in new positions don’t see themselves as joining a new team so much as deepening their involvement with a team to which they’ve belonged for some time. This is what makes these deals special – and it’s also a big part of why we’re able to maintain great service quality on a national stage.

Looking to Grow/Sell Your MSP?

If you own an MSP and want to grow it faster and more easily, consider joining The 20 MSP Group. Not only does membership give you the tools you need to grow a large and profitable MSP, it also puts you on a proven track toward a lucrative payday as we are actively cultivating our MSP members for acquisition.

Want to hear from the MSP owners whose businesses we acquired? You’re in luck! We sat down with these entrepreneurs and asked them about their M&A journeys — from “deciding to sell” to “life after the roll-up” to everything in between. You can watch their short testimonial videos on our newly launched M&A page for MSPs.

About The 20 MSP

The 20 MSP has been helping businesses succeed through better technology since 1986.

As a leading provider of managed IT services, The 20 MSP serves hundreds of businesses nationwide, providing each one with white glove service, secure and streamlined IT infrastructure, and 24/7/365 support. We believe in building lasting relationships with clients founded on trust, communication, and the delivery of high-value services for a fair and predictable price. Our clients’ success is our success, and we are committed to helping each and every organization we serve leverage technology to secure a competitive advantage and achieve new growth.

Business is better when IT runs smoothly.

The 20 Closes Three More M&A Deals!

The 20 proudly welcomes three world-class MSPs to its rapidly growing organization – and reflects on the M&A lessons learned over the past year.

Full press release here

We’re coming to you with more big M&A news! We just completed three more MSP acquisitions (read full press release), bringing the total number of deals closed to nineteen. That’s …

Nineteen highly skilled and motivated teams joining The 20 family.

Nineteen new sources of expertise and innovation.

Nineteen client bases in fifteen different states.

And nineteen happy (former) MSP owners!

We’re delighted to welcome the following managed service providers to The 20 family:

UNI Computers, Kansas, Owner: Lance Keltner, Website
CyberSecure IT Solutions, Florida, CEO: Christian Wartchow, Website
The Computing Edge, Oklahoma, CEO: George Burke, Website

All three of these MSPs achieved tremendous success as members of our growth platform – The 20 MSP Group. The 20 MSP Group is a co-op of small and medium-sized MSPs that work together, leveraging shared knowledge and resources, including The 20’s battle-tested business model, to grow and scale much faster and more easily than they ever could working alone.

We’ve enjoyed watching UNI Computers, CyberSecure IT Solutions, and The Computing Edge evolve into top-tier MSPs with a strong regional presence, and we can’t wait to deepen our relationship with these exemplary companies and their talented teams.

Our CEO Tim Conkle remarked on these latest acquisitions, and his thoughts tell you everything you need to know about how The 20’s leadership is feeling:

“Lance, Christian, and George … built tremendous teams who understand what managed IT services are all about – helping clients win. It’s an understatement to say we’re feeling confident that our new team members are going to help us bring second-to-none IT support to clients at a national scale.”

In addition to feeling confident about our latest acquisitions, we’re also feeling confident about our roll-up process as a whole. When you successfully carry out nineteen of these deals, you learn a lot of important lessons – lessons that will certainly be top-of-mind as we continue on our M&A journey, pushing into new markets and deepening our national footprint.

In this blog post, we want to share a few of these lessons with the MSP community. If you’re an MSP with M&A on the mind, keep reading for advice and wisdom that comes from our experiences, and from the experiences of the MSP owners whose businesses we’ve acquired.

M&A Lessons from The 20

The M&A journey we embarked on last year has been exciting, eye-opening, and deeply gratifying. It’s bolstered our already sky-high confidence in The 20 MSP Group, and taught us a multitude of M&A lessons that any growth-minded MSP would be remiss to ignore.

Recently, we sat down with the MSP owners whose businesses we’ve acquired to talk about their experiences rolling up. They generously shared their thoughts and feelings, and we’ve picked a few key ideas from these conversations to share with you …

Lesson #1 – Communication is Everything

When we acquire an MSP, we follow a streamlined and highly systematized roll-up process – one we’ve perfected over the past year. That said, every MSP is different, and more to the point, every MSP owner is different. They come to us with different sets of concerns, worries, and questions, and we’ve found that the most important part of the roll-up process is communication.

When we acquire an MSP, we open a dialogue with that MSP’s leadership team, and do everything we can to be (a) available, (b) transparent, and (c) supportive. Selling your MSP can be stressful, which is why we make sure to be there for the MSP owners whose companies we’re acquiring. Just ask Caleb B. (we acquired Caleb’s MSP, JS Computek, back in October):

“The lines of communication were amazingly open – there were lots of 5 am emails that were answered and there were lots of 8 pm emails answered.”

When you’re feeling stressed, the last thing you want is to be kept out of the loop. This idea isn’t just at the core of how we treat our end clients; it’s also a crucial part of how we treat the MSPs we acquire.

Lesson #2 – Being a Member of The 20 MSP Group Helps … A LOT

The MSPs we’ve acquired – and the MSPs we will acquire – all belong to our growth platform, The 20 MSP Group. This is no coincidence; we’re exclusively acquiring MSPs that belong to our group because it makes integration immeasurably easier! These are MSPs who’ve already adopted our tool stack and business model. In short, we’re acquiring companies we’ve worked with, gotten to know, and wholly trust to protect The 20’s reputation for exceptional support and service delivery.

Talking to the MSP owners who’ve been rolled up really drove home the importance of the group to our M&A process …

“We’re still leveraging the same support desk. We’re still selling the same way. You still got the same local staff…The transition for my customers was easy!”

-Gary B.

“It wasn’t like a normal acquisition where you might have fear about having to change your culture and your process.”

-Caleb B.

“From my clients’ perspective, they already trusted The 20 because we got a lot of support – we got a lot of resources from The 20 – and so I knew going in that The 20 MSP would be taking care of my clients the same way I would.”

-Kevin P.

“Honestly, being part of The 20, there wasn’t really much to prepare … [it] helped make the acquisition really smooth. Everything was aligned.”

-Michael V.

More than one of the MSP owners we sat down with said that The 20’s acquisition of their company didn’t even feel like an acquisition! This isn’t surprising when you think about it; these business owners didn’t sell their companies to PE firms they’ve never worked with before, but to a company they’ve gotten to know over the course of several years, and whose leadership team they’ve come to trust and respect.

We have real relationships with the MSPs we’re acquiring, which makes a big difference at every stage of the acquisition process.

Lesson #3 – From Owner to Employee: Lots to Love!

Selling your MSP can be scary for a variety of reasons, not least of which is the fact that going from “owner to employee” is a big change. A lot of the MSP owners whose companies we acquired had gone years – sometimes decades! – without having a boss. We asked them about their experience transitioning from being an owner to an employee, and their answers were illuminating.

Some talked about the fact that they’re still shareholders, with a measurable stake in The 20 and its success as the first truly national MSP:

“I don’t really feel like I sold [my MSP], because it’s a little different situation as you move from being an owner to a shareholder. And so I do really feel ownership with what we’re building now.”

-Caleb B.

Others highlighted the fact that as employees of The 20, they’ve been placed in leadership positions that allow them to focus on what they’re good at and enjoy doing – sales, operations, etc.:

“I’m loving working as an employee of The 20. I’m regional VP of the Midwest … It’s a fancy title that means I take care of my clients and I take care of my staff so that they have the resources to take care of my clients. I’m an operator at heart, so I’m able to focus most of my time on doing what I’m really good at and what I love doing.”

-Kevin P.

“When I first started my MSP, I had a shift to be an engineer because I drew the short straw … Now I get a chance to go back into sales, where my first foundation was.”

-Gary B.

And one MSP owner emphasized how nice it’s been to have more time to focus on what truly matters:

“Now that we’ve sold our MSP, what’s next? Well, number one is to be able to focus on my family.”

-Michael V.

When you’re used to being a business owner, the idea of becoming an employee can be scary. But take it from these MSP owners – there’s a lot to love about the transition!

Lesson #4 – Selling is Emotional!

No matter how much you’ve thought about the decision, and no matter how confident you are that it’s the right move for both you and your MSP, the act of selling something you’ve spent years building is bound to be emotional.

It’s only natural to feel a lot of different feelings during the roll-up process: excitement, fear, hope, doubt … The list goes on! So if/when you enter the M&A arena, give yourself permission to be human. Give yourself permission to feel.

We understand that selling your MSP isn’t just another business decision – it’s a huge moment in your professional life, representing years of hard work, dreaming, planning, and risk-taking. We also recognize and respect that selling your MSP is likely to be an emotional time, which brings us full circle, back to lesson #1:

We can’t remove all the stress from the roll-up process, but we can do everything we can to minimize it, including ALWAYS BEING AVAILABLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS AND DISCUSS YOUR CONCERNS. Communication is the name of the game, and here at The 20, we’re committed to knocking it out of the park on that front!

Look Out for Our Brand-New M&A Page!

Acquiring nineteen MSPs has taught us a lot, and we’re excited to apply these lessons going forward. We’ve grown a lot over the past year, deepening our national footprint and expanding our portfolio of services, but we’re still in the early stages of our multi-year growth plan. So stay tuned for more M&A news from The 20 as we continue on our M&A spree.

Also, make sure to look out for our brand-new M&A webpage (launching soon!), where you’ll find plenty of useful information on M&A strategy, our roll-up process, and the testimonial videos from which the quotes in this blog post were taken.

And in the meantime, download our free M&A guide for MSPs – Top M&A Tips for MSPs.

ITS Joins The 20 Family!

We take another step forward in our multi-year growth plan with the acquisition of Integrated Technology Services.

Full Press Release Here

The roll up keeps rolling! We are proud to announce that The 20 MSP has just gotten bigger and better, acquiring Integrated Technology Services (ITS), a top-notch MSP based out of Charleston, SC.

Integrated Technology Services
South Carolina
CEO: Michael Hladczuk; President: Tiffiny Hladczuk
Website

ITS is a stellar company that has achieved pronounced success as a member of our growth platform, The 20 MSP Group. With origins in the Department of Defense and nearly two decades of experience in managed IT services, ITS is a treasure trove of IT resources and expertise, especially in the areas of cybersecurity and compliance.

From day one, we’ve been impressed with the ITS team’s willingness to do all the little things to ensure client satisfaction. In our ultra-competitive industry, it’s that ‘good isn’t good enough’ attitude we look for in acquisition targets. The desire to be excellent is what The 20 is all about, it’s what ITS is all about, and we couldn’t be more excited to join forces and start collaborating to bring our collective client base an even wider range of offerings and even better support.

M&A Recap

Last year, The 20 MSP dove into the M&A arena with gusto, acquiring thirteen top-tier MSPs, all of which belonged to The 20 MSP Group. Every deal is different, with its own challenges and friction points, but on the whole, we’ve been thrilled with how smooth and seamless the integration process has been.

Of course it helps that the MSPs we’re acquiring are all companies we’ve worked closely with, oftentimes for multiple years. There’s a level of compatibility there that can’t be created on the fly. It’s organic, it’s real, and it’s at the heart of why we’re able to sustain such a rapid pace of consolidation.

2023 has seen The 20 MSP close three deals (in February we acquired Dallas Network Services and Integrated Business Technologies, deepening our footprint in Texas and Oklahoma). Our M&A plans for the rest of the year are simple: keep going!

“This roll up isn’t slowing down any time soon,” remarked our CEO, Tim Conkle. “We have a lot of MSPs ready to join The 20 family, and these are companies we know well. The synergies are in place, the cultural compatibility is there, and because the MSPs we’re acquiring already use The 20’s tools and processes, integration is a breeze. Look out for more deals in the coming months as we continue to grow and cement our status as the leading national MSP.”

For more details on our ambitious M&A plans, check out this great article published by CRN.

Looking to Grow/Sell Your MSP?

Learn more about The 20 here, download our Top M&A Tips for MSPs here, and schedule a call with us here.

About The 20 MSP

The 20 MSP has been helping businesses succeed through better technology since 1986.

MSP co-op joins forces with leading cloud solutions provider to give MSPs a seamless and integrated cloud experience

View press release

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Leading MSP organization The 20 MSP Group today announced its strategic partnership with Pax8, the world’s favorite cloud marketplace. The partnership equips The 20 with a transactional platform that simplifies the buying journey for its MSP members through consolidated billing, automation, and next-generation PSA integrations.

“The 20 MSP group is a trailblazer in the MSP industry, continuously innovating and raising the bar that resonates with our Pax8 vision,” said Jared Pangretic, SVP of Sales, Americas at Pax8. “We look forward to our partnership with the 20 MSP Group to help our MSP partners improve efficiencies, reduce their risks, and grow their cloud business.”

This news comes after Pax8 announced the hiring of Rob Rae, IT channel veteran and former Senior VP of Business Development at Datto. As the new Pax8 Corporate Vice President (CVP) of Community and Ecosystems, Rae will be responsible for strengthening MSP relationships, offering strategic guidance for the implementation of new programs, and enhancing the partner experience globally. Rae said he joined Pax8 because of the company’s forward-looking corporate vision, commitment to the channel, and strong track record of investment in the MSP industry.

The 20’s leadership team shares Rae’s enthusiasm about Pax8’s mission and looks forward to collaboration.

“The 20 has made its mark by building lasting relationships with MSPs founded on mutual respect and a commitment to growth,” said Tim Conkle, CEO of The 20. “Partnering with Pax8 will help us continue to serve and empower our MSP members — and in new and exciting ways. We can’t wait to get started on what’s sure to be a fruitful collaboration.”

Added Conkle, “There are game-changing improvements on the horizon for our MSP community.”

About The 20 MSP Group

The 20 is an exclusive business development group for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) aimed at dominating and revolutionizing the IT industry with its standardized all-in-one approach. The 20’s robust RMM, PSA, and documentation platform ensures superior service for MSP clients utilizing their completely US-based Help Desk and Network Operations Center. Extending beyond cutting-edge tools and processes, The 20 touts a proven sales model, a community of industry leaders, and ultimate scalability.

About Pax8

Pax8 is the world’s favorite cloud marketplace for IT professionals to buy, sell, and manage best-in-class technology solutions. Pioneering the future of modern business, Pax8 has cloud-enabled more than 400,000 enterprises through its channel partners and processes one million monthly transactions. Pax8’s award-winning technology enables managed service providers (MSPs) to accelerate growth, increase efficiency, and reduce risk so their businesses can thrive. The innovative company has ranked in the Inc. 5000 for five years in a row. Join the revolution at pax8.com.

The 20 Acquires Two More MSPs!

We continue to lead the charge in consolidation with the addition of two world-class MSPs to The 20 family

Last year saw The 20 MSP enter the M&A arena with a flurry of acquisitions. We welcomed thirteen MSPs to The 20 family in 2022, and we’re not slowing down anytime soon. We’re proud to announce that we’ve just closed two more MSP acquisitions, further deepening our national footprint and extending our market reach.

We warmly welcome the following managed service providers to The 20 family:

Dallas Network Services, Texas, CEO: Bill Butler, Website
Integrated Business Technologies, Oklahoma, CEO: Eric Kehmeier, Website

Dallas Network Services (DNS) and Integrated Business Technologies (IBT) have both achieved monumental growth as members of The 20 Group, evolving into true industry leaders with strong regional presence. Their commitment to excellence, client-first mentality, and proven ability to innovatively solve problems give us confidence that this partnership will yield incredible results. Simply put, we’re thrilled to be joining forces with DNS and IBT, two top-notch MSPs on the rise.

The recent remarks of our CEO, Tim Conkle, reflect the current mood of The 20’s entire leadership team. “DNS and IBT are exemplary MSPs that we’ve had the privilege of working closely with through our group. Their commitment to never cutting corners and going that extra mile to ensure client success makes us confident that these acquisitions are going to help us bring our collective client base even better support, along with a wider range of services and offerings. It’s an honor to welcome these talented and motivated teams to The 20 family.”

The key word in the above quote is closely. Working closely with the MSPs in The 20 Group gives us a detailed, intimate, and comprehensive understanding of how these companies operate. This, in turn, gives us a head start from a due diligence perspective, and allows us to assess cultural compatibility in a thorough and methodical way. A lot of organizational culture is below the surface, and getting to know the MSPs in The 20 Group over the course of multiple years allows us to drill deeper than a more limited timeframe would allow.

In short, like the other MSPs we’ve acquired, DNS and IBT are companies we know inside and out, led by people with whom we’ve forged strong relationships. This latest roll-up isn’t the beginning, but the continuation of something great.

“When it comes to pulling off these deals, the numbers obviously matter,” Conkle reflected. “But there are countless qualitative aspects of a successful merger that are hard to get right without a pre-existing partnership. This is just as much about people as it is operational compatibility. Bringing quality people together to amplify each other’s talents and strengths is what The 20 has always been about, and we’re following that same logic with these acquisitions. The right people in the right seats is how we make magic happen.”

Stronger Together

Our mission at The 20 is to build a national MSP with unmatched service delivery and scale. It’s an ambitious plan, but it’s a long time coming. The 20 began as a simple “what if” – what if we joined forces? The pronounced success of our group has answered that question definitively …

We’re stronger together!

Rolling up our members into a single national MSP is thus a natural next step in our organization’s evolution – not to mention a necessary response to our rapidly changing industry. And luckily, we’re poised to consolidate at a pace that most MSPs will have trouble matching.

More specifically, our M&A efforts are streamlined by the existence of The 20 group. We’re only looking to acquire MSPs that belong to our group because doing so allows us to roll up quickly, smoothly, and with minimal disruption to our growing client base. Without the hindrances and friction points that bog down traditional M&A deals, we can consolidate at a rate of two to four MSPs a month in 2023 – and that’s exactly what we plan on doing!

As thrilled as we are about how smoothly our roll-up has gone so far, our eyes are firmly on the future: getting bigger, getting better, and staying at the forefront of innovation in managed IT services. Our clients – old and new – can expect to see our services and offerings improve and expand in the coming months, as we draw on the collective expertise of our growing team. Here’s to a bright future!

Looking to Grow/Sell Your MSP?

If you own an MSP and want to grow it faster and more easily, consider joining The 20 Group. Not only does membership give you the tools you need to grow a large and profitable MSP, it also puts you on a proven track toward a lucrative payday as we are actively cultivating our MSP members for acquisition.

Learn more about The 20 here, download our Top M&A Tips for MSPs here, and schedule a call with us here.

About The 20 MSP

The 20 MSP has been helping businesses succeed through better technology since 1986.