Climb Global Solutions CEO On 2025 Roadmap And Expansion Plans: ‘This Year Is A Transition Year’

Climb Global Solutions CEO Dale Foster says for the next two years, EMEA will be ‘our primary focus, but we also plan to expand more in APAC down the road.’

As it aims to surpass $2 billion in revenue this year, Climb Global Solution’s 2025 roadmap focuses primarily on continuity and refinement due to momentum gained from recent acquisitions and new vendors added to its marketplace.

According to Dale Foster, CEO of Eatontown, N.J.-based distributor Climb, 2025 is a “transition year” with the rollout of its long-awaited ERP (enterprise resource planning) system.

“After three years of development, it’s finally going live,” Foster told CRN in an interview. “The goal is to create a unified platform that we can scale efficiently. From here, we’ll focus on accelerating growth while ensuring that everything, from back-office operations to customer interactions, runs smoothly and seamlessly.”

On top of achieving record net sales in 2024, Climb is also launching a cloud marketplace, named Climb Expedition, to streamline transactions for its MSP partners.

“Climb Expedition is being reengineered and we’re switching to a much more robust platform,” Foster said. “This new engine will allow us to better service our customers, especially our vendors and MSPs. We’re moving towards becoming more mature in the distribution space, and part of that involves offering e-commerce capabilities.

“Vendors, including big names like Microsoft, are already on board and we’ll be able to cater to the growing e-commerce demand from resellers and MSPs,” he added. “The new platform will help us serve this segment better and faster, something that’s been a challenge for us in the past.”

The distributor is also expanding outside of North America with new business in Europe.

“We’re primarily focused on English-speaking markets, but we’re starting to dip into EMEA, especially Germany,” he said. “We hired someone on the ground there and we’ve already seen $5 million to $6 million in revenue from just eight months of operations. As we expand into other countries, the challenges will be around market entry and identifying the right targets for acquisition.”

CRN spoke further to Foster about the new marketplace, the company’s 2025 innovation roadmap and expanding into EMEA below.

Can you give us an overview of Climb’s 2025 roadmap and the direction for the next few years?

The 2025 roadmap is largely about continuity and refinement. We’re building on the momentum of acquiring companies, onboarding new vendors and integrating those acquisitions into our platform. This year is a transition year, particularly as we go live with our ERP (enterprise resource planning) system, which has been a long time coming. We’ve been working on it for three years and now it’s finally happening. This is about creating a single platform that we can scale and make more efficient. From here, we can start doubling down on growth while ensuring everything is streamlined, from back-office functions to customer interactions.

You had said previously that you want to double Climb’s revenue by 2026. Are you on track to achieve that?

Yes, we’re on track. In 2023, we hit $1.26 billion. For 2025, our internal budget is over $2 billion so we’re definitely progressing in the right direction. So 2026 will be the year we fully reach that doubling milestone.

How does innovation play into Climb’s growth strategy, particularly when it comes to efficiency?

Innovation is all about efficiency, our ERP implementation is a key part of that. By automating and streamlining processes, we can operate more efficiently. We are also seeing more AI and automation being integrated into our systems, from marketing to security. AI is no longer an optional tool, it’s becoming embedded into everything we do, including the platforms we provide to our customers. This is a game-changer in terms of our ability to scale and serve our partners.

Are you looking to bring on larger vendors into your marketplace?

We’ve been focusing on emerging vendors, but we’re certainly starting to look at larger players. The reality is that there aren’t many distributors in the market, and as demand for more options grows we’re starting to get more attention from larger vendors. But we continue to prioritize speed and personalized service. Our approach to servicing vendors, regardless of size, is one of responsiveness. The bigger guys, like Cisco or HP, might have more traditional, slower models, but we focus on providing faster and more nimble solutions.

What trends do you see shaping the future of IT distribution and channel partnerships?

AI and automation are obviously huge right now. Whether it’s for improving security or streamlining business processes, these technologies will play a big role in the future. We’re also seeing more cloud and consumption-based models emerge, which is where we’re focusing our attention. Our marketplace will continue to evolve with these trends and we aim to integrate AI into our applications to make everything we do faster and more efficient.

How does Climb foster strong relationships with its channel partners and vendors?

Building relationships is at the heart of everything we do. We prioritize face-to-face interactions, something that’s not as common with many of our competitors. We see real value in meeting with vendors and resellers in person. It’s not just about emails and Teams calls, it’s about physically showing up, giving them a hug and making it clear that their business is important to us. This high-touch approach is something that sets us apart from others in the industry. We ensure our teams, especially in sales, feel the same way. Even smaller vendors get the same level of attention and care as the bigger ones.

How does Climb support small to medium-sized resellers compared to larger ones?

For larger resellers, we have dedicated teams to manage those relationships. But for smaller resellers, it’s really about being accessible. Whether you’re a $1 million reseller or a $50 million one, we treat you with the same level of care and attention. We also try to make it more efficient by holding events that bring resellers together, which helps both our teams and our partners. The key is balancing personalized service with operational efficiency.

What challenges and opportunities do you foresee as Climb expands internationally, particularly in EMEA and APAC?

Right now, we’re primarily focused on English-speaking markets, but we’re starting to dip into EMEA, especially Germany. We hired someone on the ground there and we’ve already seen $5 million to $6 million in revenue from just eight months of operations. As we expand into other countries, the challenges will be around market entry and identifying the right targets for acquisition. For the next two years, EMEA will be our primary focus, but we also plan to expand more in APAC down the road.

Any teasers about upcoming M&A activity?

We’re looking at a few targets, but nothing is finalized yet. We’re particularly interested in acquiring master MSPs, those two-tier delivery companies that service the MSP community. These acquisitions would help us scale both here in North America and internationally.

What’s the strategy for new vendors in Climb’s marketplace?

We’re actively expanding the marketplace, with around 50 vendors on board currently. Our goal is to double that by the end of this year. For new vendors, they might initially enter as e-commerce vendors, offering a self-service model. But as they grow and develop connectors and licensing models, they can transition into a full marketplace vendor. The key is to offer flexible transaction models that fit the needs of vendors and resellers, whether it’s for software, hardware or managed services.

Lastly, what message do you have for your vendors and MSPs about Climb’s vision and their role in it?

Our vision is about speed, responsiveness and high-touch service. We want our partners and vendors to know that we’re committed to growing with them. Whether you’re a small vendor just starting out or a large reseller, we’re here to support you and we’ll treat you with the same level of importance. At Climb, everyone matters and we’re all in this together.