Tonaquint Names Involta, Flexential Vet As New CEO

Data center veteran Jim Buie – whose resume includes stops at Flexential and AT&T – was named CEO of Tonaquint ,which has 140,000 square feet of data center space under management in facilities across the U.S.

Data center veteran Jim Buie – whose resume includes stops at Flexential and AT&T – was named CEO of Tonaquint, which has 140,000 square feet of data center space under management in facilities across the U.S.

Buie’s specialty has been scaling businesses and optimizing operational performance to meet the market, Tonaquint said in a press statement. He was CEO at Involta, which was rebranded to Ark Data Centers, until 2023. Involta has been repeatedly recognized on the CRN MSP 500.

“Jim Buie is an invaluable addition to the Tonaquint executive team. We’re confident that his exemplary leadership and expertise will elevate Tonaquint to even greater heights as a premier data center solution provider,” said Kanan Joshi, a Tonaquint board member, and a partner with its private equity backer.

Founded as a colocation data center in 2008 with a headquarters in St. George, Utah, Tonaquint has grown to three locations across the US. The company manages 14 megawatts in facilities that have redundant power and redundant path networking as well as 24-hour technical staff on site.

CRN reached out to Tonaquint for comment but had not heard back by press time.

In a statement, Buie said he plans to take a modern approach to data center solutions, and focus on emerging technologies, while maintaining Tonaquint’s edge in reliability and resiliency.

“ Unlike traditional data center models, our design will deliver high-density, energy-efficient infrastructure to support mission-critical applications while also reducing operational costs and carbon footprints. Our clients can count on us to be an adaptable, easy-to-work-with partner who listens to their needs and puts them first,” Buie said.

Tonaquint said it is focused on being a premier data center provider for companies in the emerging markets of the United States. The company offers colocation to IaaS, DRaaS, and BaaS for emerging solutions such as serverless computing.

The company was acquired by the private equity fund CVC DIF in 2022. CVC DIF previously did business as DIF Capital Partners. It is an infrastructure focused private equity fun with more than 19.5 billion in assets under management, the company said in a statement.

At Involta, Buie rose to CEO after the Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based company was bought by private equity firm Carlyle in 2022. Buie had been with the company since 2016. He left in 2023 and went to work as an investment advisor before landing the top job at Tonaquint.

Buie holds a holds a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Florida State University and an MBA from the University of Colorado.

“Together, with our client-focused team of technical experts, we are redefining what colocation and cloud can offer in this evolving landscape — when, where, and how the client needs it,” he said.