Ridgecrest Advisors’ Client SusQtech Is Acquired by Protiviti
St. Louis – December 19, 2012 – Ridgecrest Advisors announced today that its client, SusQtech, Inc., a leading provider of SharePoint implementation, design, integration, training and customer support services, has been acquired by Protiviti, a global consulting firm and wholly-owned subsidiary of Robert Half International (NYSE: RHI).
“By combining SusQtech and Protiviti’s software consulting services, we will be able to assist even more companies in gaining the most out of their Microsoft technology-based initiatives to meet their specific business goals and achieve measureable benefits,” said Joseph Tarantino, president and CEO of Protiviti. “The addition of SusQtech’s deep technical talent and strategic relationships will further fuel the growth of Protiviti’s expanding global IT Consulting engine.”
Protiviti’s IT Consulting solutions provide clients with a broad range of software services. The addition of the SusQtech team strengthens Protiviti’s SharePoint experience and enhances the firm’s ability to deliver Microsoft technology-based consulting services using the agile software development method that includes information architecture, design, configuration, development and deployment.
“If designed and configured properly for content management and collaboration, SharePoint can dramatically streamline workflows, increase efficiency and boost workforce productivity as part of an organization’s enterprise information platform. However, we are often called upon by companies to help rescue SharePoint initiatives by providing program management because internal staff lack qualified Microsoft technology skills or program management accountability for achieving desired results,” said Kurt Underwood, Protiviti managing director and global head of the firm’s IT Consulting practice. “The addition of SusQtech’s talent and relationships expands our delivery capacity and knowledge base in SharePoint, ASP.NET, and Microsoft’s ERP and CRM applications. And, Protiviti will now be uniquely positioned to offer the marketplace highly effective SharePoint user training and on-call support services.”
Privately held SusQtech was founded in 2005 and has 58 employees. A 12-time Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, SusQtech is the organizer of the annual SharePoint Conference .ORG and the creator of TheSUG.Org, an online SharePoint user community. Protiviti plans to retain SusQtech’s employees and will continue to serve its key clients. SusQtech’s CEO Mike Steadman, President Rob Hustick and Executive Vice President Jim LaRocca, who all have extensive SharePoint experience, now become Protiviti managing directors:
- As CEO and co-founder of SusQtech, Steadman was instrumental in growing the company and focusing it on SharePoint-based solutions. Steadman and his partners launched one of the first large-scale SharePoint support offerings. Before joining SusQtech, Steadman spent 10 years with the U.S. Air Force, assigned to the U.S. Special Operations Command and previously worked at Cargill International. He also serves on the advisory boards of the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business at Shenandoah University and the College of Business at James Madison University. Steadman holds an M.S. degree in information technology management from Virginia Tech and a B.S. degree in computer science from James Madison University.
- Rob Hustick has 23 years of experience managing enterprise-level technology and business initiatives. Prior to serving as president of SusQtech, Hustick was president and CEO of Live Elements; chief operating officer of Wise Online Services; and executive producer of the interactive division of the American Museum of Natural History. Hustick is also the director of SharePoint Conference .ORG. He has lectured extensively on social and professional networking, content management, and web development methodologies. Hustick earned his B.S. degree at the State University of New York at Binghamton.
- Jim LaRocca has been responsible for SusQtech’s overall business development efforts since the firm’s inception. He has worked strategically with a diverse customer base leveraging the SharePoint platform to drive overall business efficiency. LaRocca has consulted with clients to develop hundreds of SharePoint solutions focused on knowledge and content management, enterprise collaboration, information governance and business intelligence. Well known in the Microsoft partner community, LaRocca has developed relationships with many complementary software companies to help SusQtech’s customers maximize their SharePoint implementations. Prior to joining SusQtech, LaRocca held several management positions in the technology publishing industry with CMP Media and The Times Mirror Company. He holds a B.B.A. in finance from St. Bonaventure University.
“SusQtech is a market leader in the SharePoint space, providing full lifecycle collaboration solutions including consulting, support, training and proprietary IP, and provides an ideal platform for Protiviti to build a dominant SharePoint practice,” said Ridgecrest managing partner Randy Grigg.
About Protiviti
Protiviti (www.protiviti.com) is a global consulting firm that helps companies solve problems in finance, technology, operations, governance, risk and internal audit. Through its network of more than 70 offices in over 20 countries, Protiviti has served more than 35 percent of FORTUNE® 1000 and Global 500 companies. The firm also works with smaller, growing companies, including those looking to go public, as well as with government agencies.
Protiviti is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Half International (RHI). Founded in 1948, Robert Half International is a member of the S&P 500 index.
About SusQtech, Inc.
SusQtech is recognized as the premier provider of SharePoint implementation, design, consulting, training, and support for government agencies, commercial enterprises, top-tier associations and non-profit organizations around the world. SusQtech is the organizer of the SharePoint Conference .ORG, the nation’s only SharePoint conference specifically for associations and non-profits. SusQtech is also the creator of the largest SharePoint Group on LinkedIn with over 41,000 members, and the creator of TheSUG.org, a private online SharePoint user group. SusQtech has offices in Northern Virginia and Chicago and can be reached at 888.603.0304 or by visiting www.SusQtech.com.
About Ridgecrest Advisors
Ridgecrest Advisors is an investment banking and business consulting firm dedicated to helping technology consulting firms dramatically increase enterprise value. Ridgecrest Advisors helps clients in four core areas:
1. Buy-side M&A advisory: We help technology consulting clients increase enterprise value by successfully executing transactions which fortify, extend or transform their businesses. We have run three of the most active acquisition programs in the sector over the last 15 years and bring deep insight into full lifecycle M&A efforts.
2. Sell-side M&A advisory: We help technology consulting clients achieve premium valuations with attractive deal structures through a process that emphasizes speed and risk mitigation. Our deep industry expertise, expansive relationships with the buyer community and unmatched understanding of the perspectives of acquiring firms provide a unique ability to execute optimal transactions.
3. Business consulting: Our Enterprise Value Optimization program helps technology consulting clients improve relative performance visibility, increase profit margins and reduce business risk. With our extensive experience from evaluating hundreds of consultancies while running acquisition programs, we bring unique insight into key performance indicator benchmarks and best practices of highly profitable firms.
4. Private placements: Our ability to successfully raise capital allows our technology consulting clients to build value through funded strategic investment and reduce personal financial risk by realizing partial liquidity on their ownership positions. We have extensive relationships with private equity and debt financing providers who have experience and/or interest in the technology consulting sector.
All services involving securities are offered through M&A Securities Group, Inc. (“MAS”), member FINRA/SiPC; 4151 North Mulberry Drive, Suite 252; Kansas City, MO 64116; 816.888.7920. MAS and Ridgecrest are not affiliated entities.
