TSP (Technology Service Professionals): How a Small Dallas Startup Began Serving Fortune 500 Companies Three Months After Opening When the department they built from the ground up was eliminated, two friends gave up corporate comforts to engineer their own business. Rick Skaggs and Frank Gonzalez were longtime Honeywell employees, and they were happy working there. The two worked together for years to build a solid computer support branch, handpicking a team of service engineers and nourishing relationships with bigname clients including Texas Instruments and Raytheon. But in 2002, Honeywell decided to shut down the department. Skaggs and Gonzalez were left to terminate the brilliant engineers and hard-won service contracts they had worked so hard to put together, and they found themselves at a major crossroads. For years, the friends had played with the idea of starting a company of their own, but the timing never felt right. Their jobs at Honeywell were secure, but Skaggs and Gonzalez chose to put it all on the line and start a venture of their own that would get those engineers their jobs back. TSP (Technology Service Professionals) was created, and it s been one of the technology service industry s best-kept secrets ever since. TSP won its first contract three months in when the company wowed Texas Instruments with a stellar Request for Proposal that beat out competition from established mammoths including Sun Microsystems and Siemens. Because Skaggs and Gonzalez had already been working directly with Texas Instruments for years and knew precisely what was required to do the job right, their bid came in at two thirds of competitions price. Every other proposal also called for 12 to 15 engineers, but TSP knew they needed just five. Texas Instruments began as TSP s first client and represented more than 90 percent of the company s client base for the first three years, but TSP s incredible service achievements led to exponential growth. Though Texas Instruments is still a loyal client, their business now comprises just 27 percent of TSP s revenue. TSP has many employees on site at Texas Instruments involved in every facet of IT support, from managing any IT issues that arise, to providing helpdesk and network operations. The engineers Skaggs and Gonzalez were loyal to at Honeywell got their jobs back and many of them are still working at TSP today.
Facts and Figures TSP is a privately held information technology services company founded in December 2002 by Rick Skaggs and Frank Gonzalez. The business provides top-tier services in enterprise solutions, shared solutions, and industrial automation. Corporate Headquarters 17177 Preston Road, Suite 320 Dallas, Texas 75248 Human Resources 575+ Employees Service Areas More than 30 U.S. states, Canada Portfolio of Clients and Partners Texas Instruments, International Paper, Hewlett-Packard, Goodyear, Georgia- Pacific, Dell, Raytheon, 3M, Hitachi, NetApp, Lockheed Martin, IBM, Neiman Marcus Certified Minority-Owned Business Number of Employees by Year 2002: 2 2003: 17 2004: 20 2005: 43 2006: 73 2007: 85 2008: 131 2009: 252 2010: 278 2011: 323 2012: 420 2013: 479 2014: 512 2015: 590 Our Mission We empower our employees so that our customers can focus on what they do best. Our employees are trusted to innovate, integrate and creatively solve technology problems. TSP's personalized approach will not be found in any other partner. Our Vision To be a company that retains and nurtures its strong beliefs and culture as it grows by: Serving our clients with integrity Honoring our employees Investing time and money into the communities where we live, work and play Our Core Values Integrity First Empowered Difference Makers Thrive Here Real Conversations are Welcomed Employee Safety, Health and Happiness
Company Culture When people are your product, you take good care of them. In a tech sector where job-hopping is the norm, TSP s employee retention rate is through the roof. The company offers competitive salaries, amazing benefits packages, career advancement opportunities, and the chance to genuinely contribute to a dynamic work environment that serves some of the most prestigious companies in the U.S. and Canada. In an industry where soft skills are often overlooked, TSP prioritizes personality. Technology is an industry where soft skills are undervalued, yet the ability to stay calm under pressure and maintain relationships is as important to an IT department running smoothly as servers staying cool. Think about the last time your computer or phone crashed and you enlisted the help of an IT person: did the person help save the day, or have an attitude that managed to make it worse? TSP values top technical expertise and only hires the best and brightest. Because TSP s people are their product, the company s culture is structured around going above and beyond to emphasize customer service in addition to total technical know-how. TSP engineers are vetted professionals with talent, insight, and innovation skills in their specific fields, but every TSP employee also knows how to communicate, solve problems, and form great relationships with every client. Where Tech Meets Service: How TSP s Boot Camp Turns Potential into Prowess. Many of TSP s new employees go through TSP Boot Camp. The weeklong workshops teach theory and technology, but also focus on core soft skills that make TSP s culture and service particularly unique in the technology services industry. After an initial week of Boot Camp, new hires shadow a senior engineer and mentor, then return to headquarters for another week of customer satisfaction and soft skills training. TSP Boot Camp allows us to home-grow our resources, and ensure a solid skillset to enable total success. It helps engineers deliver a consistent, superior customer service experience that wows every client on every level. TSP engineers stay calm when working through any tech crash or crisis, ask for help when they need it, and keep the customer in the loop with information on how TSP is solving problems. Most customers have never encountered anything close to the experiences they have with TSP, and many have called and written to executive leadership to say it was the most amazing customer service experience they ever had. Many of TSP s partners have even asked to send their engineers to TSP s Boot Camp.
TSP Contributes to the Community True to our vision, Investing time and money into the communities where we live, work and play, TSP is proud to support many local and national charitable causes. TSP is a proud Signature Sponsor of Leighton s Ride. In honor of their premature infant who died of an infection three weeks after her birth, the Skaggs family founded Leighton s Gift, a 501(c)(3) public charity whose current project includes installing cameras in the neonatal ICU of Texas Health Plano. Webcams attached to beds allow loved ones to see and speak to their little ones 24 hours a day, and families and friends nationwide can also see the baby with a special webcam code. TSP proudly sponsors North Texas Christian Academy s Burger Bash and annual golf tournament. As an accredited institution, NTCA is dedicated to providing a quality education for children in a safe, loving Christ-centered environment. North Texas Christian Academy is committed to preparing students for life and faith through a superior spiritual, scholastic and social experience. TSP is frequently involved in various local fundraising events. Every year, TSP employees participate in Texas Instruments United Way golf tournament. TSP employees committed to walking in the Dallas March for Babies event supporting March of Dimes. TSP is always looking for new ways to support the Dallas-Fort Worth community, and has fundraised for various baseball teams and cheerleading squads in recent years. TSP even sponsored a FFA goat as part of the Texas State Fair!
TSP: The Best-Kept Secret in Tech Services TSP rivals the best in the industry, and the business is only getting better. The executive team regularly gets calls and emails from customers who are floored by TSP s customer service, but they also appreciate formal awards such as these. Texas Instruments Supplier Excellence Award 2006, 2007, 2009 & 2013 Texas Instruments Blue Chip Award 2006, 2007, 2009 & 2013 NetApp Partner Excellence Award 2008 NetApp CSP Supplier Award 2008 Four-time MBE (Minority Business Enterprise) Supplier of the Year Nominee 2007, 2009, 2010 & 2013 Lockheed Martin Aeronautics 100% On Time Delivery and Zero Quality Defects Award 2012, 2013 & 2014 Professional Associations, Certifications and Affiliations ISNetworld Member Contractor Minority Enterprise Business Certification, The DFW Minority Business Development Council State of Texas Department of Historically Underutilized Business
Key Leadership Rick Skaggs - Founder & President Rick Skaggs founded Technology Service Professionals, Inc. with Frank Gonzalez in 2002. As President of TSP, Rick is responsible for all new business development. He also oversees the sales and operations of TSP s industrial automation solutions. Skaggs has been working in the high tech service industry for nearly four decades. Prior to launching TSP, Skaggs held various technical and senior management positions during his 25-year tenure at Honeywell International, including Senior Tech Rep, Sales Manager, Business Manager, and Regional Director. Skaggs served in the U.S. Army and received numerous Military awards as well as a Certification for Advanced Electronics. Frank Gonzalez - Founder & Vice President Frank Gonzalez co-founded TSP with Rick Skaggs in 2002. As Vice President of TSP, Gonzalez is responsible for running and maintaining sales and operations for TSP s enterprise and shared solutions. He has more than 20 years of business experience in the IT services industry. Prior to 2002, Gonzalez held various technical and leadership positions at Honeywell International, including Field Service Manager and National Field Service Leader. In these roles, Gonzalez earned respect for his focus, supervision, coordination, and overall management for the Infrastructure Design and Support Organization. Gonzalez holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electronics Engineering Technology from DeVry University. Keith McElwain - CFO & Vice President Keith McElwain has more than 30 years of financial and administrative experience, primarily in small to mid-sized companies. He has served on TSP s leadership team as a Controller, CFO, and Vice President and has been with the company since May 2003, just a few months after TSP was launched. McElwain s experience outside of TSP includes his role as Vice President and Controller of IP Communications, a start-up telecommunications company; Controller for a national transportation company; and Treasurer and Controller for AutoTester, a software development and services organization. He also held senior accounting positions at Foster Grant and Ericsson and worked in public accounting for several years. McElwain is a Certified Public Accountant. He attended Baylor University and holds a B.B.A. degree in accounting from The University of North Texas.
Services TSP puts clients first and hires the best people to make sure things get done right. Its positive company culture is strong enough to empower every employee to not only deliver great service, but also become part of every client s company culture. Because one size never fits all. TSP works closely with clients to tailor specific solutions for specific needs. Every company is different, and TSP s approach is to evaluate every individual s requirements and create a customized solution package. Whatever clients need, TSP provides services to deliver the ultimate impact. TSP employees are vetted professionals who take care of business on time, every time. It s all about bringing the most value to clients bottom line so every dollar pays off and headaches disappear. How did TSP grow from a computer support business to enterprise solu8ons, shared solu8ons, and industrial automa8on? It s simple: TSP listens to customers. Though the business started as a computer support company, TSP engineers and leaders kept getting the same feedback from clients who shared frustrations and challenges. Instead of going to customers with a rigid agenda and set service package, TSP handcrafted solutions to fix those problems. TSP is still agile enough to respond to needs quickly and create specific solutions for specific issues. Engineering customized packages for individual clients has earned TSP a noteworthy portfolio and folders packed with glowing letters and emails praising its service. The company s culture of innovation attracts the best talent in the industry, and the business trusts and empowers employees to be innovators who solve problems quickly and correctly, all while building positive relationships. Where most service companies have a narrow scope of services that won t apply to every client, TSP goes above and beyond to deliver what customers want, when they want it.
Maintenance Services Managed Services Mul8- vendor server repairs Dedicated or onsite professionals Mul8- vendor desktop, notebook, and printer repairs Opera8ng system patching Conference room equipment support and maintenance Emergency maintenance Level 1 - Level 3 OS management Cri8cal system, applica8on, and tool monitoring PC support and deployment services Call center/helpdesk/service desk Managed print services Network field services Consulting Services Project Services System administrators Database administrators Mechanical and design engineers Web developers Project managers and coordinators Business analysts Infrastructure projects Installa8ons, moves, adds, and changes (IMAC) Vaca8on relief Special projects and emergency support Temporary man power needs
Maintenance Services Managed Services Dedicated or onsite professionals Break/fix hardware services Preven8ve & emergency maintenance Guaranteed response 8me Flexible service windows 7/24/365 online 8cket system with automated dispatch and escala8on Installa8ons and implementa8ons Administra8ve and program coordina8on Remedia8on support Warranty support OEM maintenance renewal program Consulting Services Project Services Cer8fied storage engineers Cer8fied network engineers Resident field engineers Backup administrators Staff augmenta8ons Project managers and coordinators Technical training Customized data storage solu8ons Special projects Project management Remedia8on support
Maintenance Services Project Services QCS and DCS support Dedicated or onsite professionals Preven8ve and emergency maintenance Performance and produc8on repor8ng Control op8miza8on Radiological tes8ng and associated services Installa8ons, moves, adds, and changes (IMAC) System reloca8on Upgrade consulta8on System audits Fixed firm projects Process analysis Consulting Services IT professionals E&I engineers System administrators
Contact Information Corporate Headquarters 17177 Preston Road, Suite 320 Dallas, Texas 75248 Toll Free: (866) 484-6881 Phone: (972) 484-6881 Fax: (972) 484-6845 Customer Services: csr@mytsp.net Human Resources: humanresources@mytsp.net Procurement: procurement@mytsp.net Sales: sales@mytsp.net Let s Get Social LinkedIn @TSPinc YouTube Media Contact Lauren Leger Account Executive The Power Group lauren@thepowergroup.com Mobile: (508) 498-8433 Press images can be downloaded here.