“This adds to our already strong base in the Midwest of new technical talent with deep expertise securing and managing small and mid-sized businesses,” said ACP CreativIT CEO Scott Dunsire.
ACP CreativIT has strengthened its grip on the Midwest technology solutions market with the acquisition of superstar Citon Computer Corp. of Duluth, Minnesota and its three sister companies.
The deal brings Citon's founders – Steven Dastoor and Sean Dean – together with 70 employees from the three companies primarily focused on providing managed and professional services to small and medium-sized businesses to ACP CreativIT.
In addition to Citon, which provides managed services such as cloud, cyber security, VoIP, disaster recovery and IT consulting, the deal also includes the acquisition of NetTel, a communications infrastructure and network cabling company. TLX Communications, a hosted VoIP provider and NetGuard Security Solutions, a business and home video security solutions company.
ACP CreativIT CEO Scott Dunsire (pictured above) said the acquisition of the 27-year-old company provides additional managed services and client relationships unmatched in its market.
“This adds to our already strong base in the Midwest with new technical talent with deep expertise securing and managing small and mid-sized businesses,” said Dunsire. “Ultimately this agreement positions us to compete for bigger and better opportunities in the markets we serve.”
Citon's two founders will join ACP CreativIT along with the company's 70 employees with the goal of adding additional employees to all Citon locations, Dunsire said. Citon is a Gold Level Partner for Microsoft, Lenovo, HP and Intel.
Dunsire credited ACP CreativIT Camera Corner Connecting Point CEO Rick Chernick – who has known the Citon founders for 20 years – with initiating and helping close the deal. “This was a classic case of Rick's industry relationships paying off,” Dunsire said. “This agreement adds a whole new level of technical expertise to our already strong technology team.”
Dastoor – who will continue as CEO of Citon and join the board of ACP CreativIT – will take on an expanded role, helping to further develop the company's overall managed services business, Dunsire said “There is a great opportunity for us to bring Citon's managed services to our current and future customer base,” he said. “Citon has long recognized how important services are to building a technology solutions business.”
For Citon, the deal gives the growing managed services superstar the backing of a strong $300 million solutions unit, No. 119 on the CRN SP500. “This gives Citon the ability to grow faster by working with the support of a larger company,” said Dunsire.
Dunsire said he was impressed from the start with the strong cultural synergies between Citon, ACP CreativIT and the Camera Corner Connecting Point business. “We are all focused on the pillars of high expectations, strong values, employee development and a merit-based culture,” he said.
The deal comes with ACP CreativIT – created by the blockbuster 2018 merger of two of the Midwest's most respected solutions providers – Arlington Computer Products (ACP) and the rapidly growing Camera Corner Connecting Point (CCCP).
Dunsire, for its part, said it looks forward to continued rapid growth with expanded service offerings and additional acquisitions. “This deal demonstrates our financial strength and our desire to continue to grow the business,” he said. “We're talking to a lot of companies right now.”
Key to ACP CreativIT's acquisition strategy is merging and integrating companies with strong founders with an ironclad commitment to keeping those businesses' “local customers, employees and communities,” Dunsire said.
In the case of ACP CreativIT, that philosophy has resulted in 130 years of founder/family ownership, more than $3.5 billion in sales of IT products and solutions, $300 million in annual sales and now nearly 300 employees, Dunsire said.
“The future has never been brighter for ACP CreativIT, its employees, our customers and of course our strong supplier partners who are critical to our success,” he said.
