Ed Knott, president of local tech group Applied Connective Technologies (Lincoln, Albion, Elkhorn, Columbus, Norfolk), experienced a satisfying and fulfilling full-circle moment earlier this month.
On May 1, Applied Connective’s official 20-year anniversary, Knott walked across a stage in Las Vegas to accept a top managed technology services provider (MTSP) award from among 150 fellow MTSPs from throughout the U.S. and Canada.
Technology has evolved almost beyond recognition in 20 years, and the same can be said of Applied Connective. In early 2004, Knott was working his first job in IT in Lincoln when an opportunity arose to partner with a family friend, Tom Krings, on a new technology-focused business venture near Albion
At its inception, ACT was a two-man operation selling business phone systems in rural Nebraska. The business soon added a managed IT focus, and the company grew steadily due to referrals and word of mouth.
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“That’s something we take great pride in to this day,” Knott said in a news release. “The fact that, for our first 16 years, we grew organically without spending any money on marketing or advertising is a testament to our team’s commitment to unrivaled customer service.
“I think happy customers recommending us to their peers is the best compliment we could earn. We strive to deliver that same ‘world-class’ customer service every day.”
Over the coming years, the business would see the retirement of Krings in 2015, expansion to include offices in Fullerton, Columbus and Norfolk, as well as gradual additions of new experts onto the team, which would allow them to expand their service offering to address additional facets of technology.
In 2019, Applied Connective Technologies moved its headquarters in Albion into a fully remodeled Shopko building on Highway 14 featuring cutting-edge technologies and quite a bit more “elbow room” for their growing team.
The past five years have seen acquisitions of Megavision in 2022 and Connecting Point in 2023, new office locations in Lincoln and Elkhorn and the addition of many new team members in the IT, AVS and sales departments.
Now nearly halfway into 2024, the company is on an exciting trajectory, with 58 full-time staff out of five office locations (in addition to some fully remote staff in western and southern Nebraska). ACT has evolved into a full-service MTSP offering professional managed IT and cyber security services, business phone systems, physical security and surveillance, audio/video solutions and more as well as the low voltage and physical infrastructure to support all of those technologies.
Truly a one-touchpoint provider for all their customers’ technology needs and ongoing tech support, the team currently serves hundreds of SMBs and dozens of local government, healthcare, schools and other customers.
“Our hallmark is our customer service. We are ‘tech people,’ but more than that, we’re ‘people people,’” said Will Zoucha, operations manager and 12-year ACT employee. “While we embrace technology, you won’t call us and talk to a robot. You’ll be connected with a real, friendly, knowledgeable expert whose passion it is to help you leverage technology to become your most efficient, secure and profitable.
“Partnering with a good MTSP is a game-changer for any business or organization, but we believe what sets us apart is this focus on our customers. We know them, we care about them and we’re committed to their success.”
In one of the most fulfilling moments of his career, Knott spent the evening of the company’s 20th anniversary accepting the coveted Triple Crown Achievement Award, a prestigious award given to the top MTSP in the three key growth and success categories by TAG, a San Diego-based organization comprised of MTSPs from throughout the U.S. and Canada representing $800 million in products and services.
Only five partners were recognized at the awards out of 150 members, and this was arguably the top award.
Brian Suerth, president of TAG, shares, “We were excited to recognize Ed Knott and the Applied Connective team with TAG’s Triple Crown Achievement Award at our 23rd Annual Convention in Las Vegas. Their team is passionate about helping the organizations they serve and taking them to the next level with their technology solutions.
“Ed Knott is an amazing leader, philanthropist and entrepreneur that his peers in the industry look up to and try to emulate. It was an honor and a privilege to acknowledge Ed and his company with this award for a second straight year, which is truly an impressive accomplishment.”
Acknowledging that this award was hard-earned by the entire team, Knott shared a few comments.
“We owe this to our amazing and hard-working team. I’m exceedingly proud of them. We’ve prioritized culture and have been so fortunate to find and hire incredible people and put them in the right seats to do what they’re great at,” Knott said. “It’s also a testament to our customers and all who have supported us along the way. It may come as a shock to others that we’ve seen success here, but to me, Nebraska seems the perfect place to build something that helps, supports and prioritizes relationships and people. Our team provides services that can catapult the success of any business. But at the end of the day, we have been surrounded by good people, and that’s made all the difference.”
For more information about Applied Connective’s cyber security plans or other services, visit https://appliedconnective.com.