Editor’s Note: This story was updated to distinguish between a press release and an interview.
Pitt Technology Group, a technology and software services company founded by Doug Pitt in Springfield, is acquiring Protel Systems and Supply, purchasing their third company in as many years.
The acquisition was announced in a Nov.16 press release and will be completed on Dec. 1.
“The company’s legacy of reliable service and support made it an ideal addition to Pitt Technology Group,” the press release says.
The press release did not disclose the acquisition price, and a company official declined to share it.
Acquisition brings together two long-lived Springfield companies
Protel, the older of the two companies, was founded in 1983 and has since seen several transitions in ownership. Since 2019, it has been held by Shane and Kimberly Taylor. They grew from a basement startup to a team of over 150 employees, and have partnerships with Amazon Alexa and Microsoft.
PTG, on the other hand, was founded in 1991 by Doug Pitt. Originally, the company was known as ServiceWorld Computer Center, and, like Protel, has shifted ownership throughout the years. Since its own beginning, PTG has nearly tripled its workforce and revenue. Ultimately it ended up back with Pitt when he reacquired the company in 2017. Pitt co-owns it with Kevin Waterland, who is also the general manager.
Few employees remain from Protel's peak staff count
In the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, Protel’s call center, which employed the majority of their workforce, was closed down over a months-long process, Waterland told the Daily Citizen in an interview.
“What was left at their company aligns with ours, which is primarily telecommunication support services,” he said.
According to Waterland, three employees from Protel will join the team at PTG, which will bring their total staff to about 43.
“I don’t know the exact number, but I would say very few had their job affected when we purchased the company,” he said.
According to reporting from the Springfield Business Journal, Protel still had 75 employees as of Feb. 14 this year (a figure submitted by Protel for an SBJ list). Protel’s LinkedIn page showed a similar number at 73.
“There were no employees laid off related to our acquisition,” Waterland said.
Protel brings contracts, new services to PTG
Protel offers a different, but not unrelated set of services as PTG, with more of an emphasis on telecommunications support and installation. The primary assets that PTG took on with the acquisition are about 150 active phone contracts and the name of the company, according to Waterland. Roughly 300 customers have done business with Protel in the last 18 months.
Protel’s services, both current and former, are detailed on their website:
- Cloud-based phone service
- Adaptive network
- Remote office
- Integrated physical security
- Call center solutions
- Temperature screening
PTG, prior to the acquisition of Protel, was composed of five different companies, three of which were founded by Waterland, according to their website. The companies include Concepticode, Lovo, Nexio, Syndeo, and AVMAN.
PTG’S combined services include:
- Audio, video, and lighting
- Web and software development
- Managed IT support
- Low-voltage cabling
- Cloud and internet
“We had some phone services before but moving [Protel’s service portion] over allows us to kickstart that and add it to our suite of services,” Waterland said.
With the acquisition, PTG will be able to expand telecommunications operations. Waterland indicated in the press release that they will begin offering those services immediately following the acquisition.
“We don't anticipate any variation of service or loss of any piece of their service,” he said. “We anticipate that to actually increase what services are going to take care of.”
“Protel has been around for a very long time and has a long history of providing excellent low voltage and telecommunication services in the Springfield area,” Waterland said in the press release. “We are pleased to add them to our team and we’re looking forward to having their expertise as we extend our technology services to include phones. We plan to immediately start offering cloud-based managed phone systems with 24/7 locally-based support to their and our customers.”
Protel sold its offices that it had occupied since 1998 at 2929 N. Eastgate on Sept. 26 of this year to a company titled Eastgate Missouri Holding Corp., according to the Greene County Assessor. The most recent assessed value, from Sept. 2, 2021, is listed at $554,150. The grantee’s mailing address is listed in Mississauga, Ontario.
The remaining staff moved a short distance away to Pitt Technology Group’s headquarters located within the Springfield Underground, a large, multi-use warehouse at 2019 Le Compte Road.
