ACP CreativIT Buys Midwest Managed Services Superstar Citon

“This adds to our already strong foothold in the Midwest with new technical talent with deep expertise securing and managing small and medium sized businesses,” said ACP CreativIT CEO Scott Dunsire.

ACP CreativIT tightened its grip on the Midwest technology solutions market with the acquisition of Duluth, Minnesota-based managed services superstar Citon Computer Corp. and its three sister companies.

The deal brings Citon’s founders – Steven Dastoor and Sean Dean- along with 70 employees from the three companies primarily focused on providing managed and professional services to small and midsize businesses into the ACP CreativIT fold.

Besides Citon, which provides managed services including cloud, cybersecurity, VoIP, disaster recovery, and IT consulting, the deal also includes the acquisition of NetTel, a network communications infrastructure and cabling company; TLX Communications, a hosted VoIP provider and NetGuard Security Solutions, a business and home video security solutions company.

ACP CreativIT CEO Scott Dunsire (pictured above) said the acquisition of the 27-year-old company provides additional managed services muscle and customer relationships that are unmatched in its market.

“This adds to our already strong foothold in the Midwest with new technical talent with deep expertise securing and managing small and medium sized businesses,” said Dunsire. “Ultimately this deal puts us in a position to compete for bigger and better opportunities in the markets that we serve.”

Citon’s two founders will join ACP CreativIT along with the company’s 70 employees with an eye toward adding additional employees at all of Citon’s locations, said Dunsire. Citon is a gold level partner for Microsoft, Lenovo, HP and Intel.

Dunsire credited ACP CreativIT’s Camera Corner Connecting Point CEO Rick Chernick – who has known Citon’s founders for 20 years- with initiating and helping to close the deal. “This was a classic case of Rick’s industry relationships paying off for us,” said Dunsire. “This deal adds a whole new level of technical expertise to our already strong technology team.”

Dastoor – who will continue as Citon’s CEO and join the ACP CreativIT board of directors- will take on an expanded role, helping to further grow the overall company’s managed services business, said Dunsire “There’s a big opportunity for us to take Citon’s managed services to our current and prospective customer base,” he said. “Citon recognized long ago how important services are to building a technology solutions business.”

For Citon, the deal provides the growing managed services superstar with the backing of a $300 million solutions powerhouse, No. 119 on the CRN SP500. “This gives Citon the ability to grow faster working with the backing of a larger company,” said Dunsire.

Dunsire said he was impressed from the outset with the strong cultural synergies between Citon, ACP CreativIT and the Camera Corner Connecting Point business. “All of us are focused on the pillars which are high level expectations, strong values, employee development and a meritocracy based culture,” he said.

The deal comes with ACP CreativIT – which was formed with the blockbuster merger in 2018 of two of the most respected Midwest solution providers- Arlington Computer Products (ACP) and Camera Corner Connecting Point (CCCP), growing at a rapid clip.

Dunsire, for his part, said he is looking forward to continuing the fast growth with expanded services offerings and additional acquisitions. “This deal shows our financial strength and our desire to continue to grow the business,” he said. “We are talking to a number of companies right now.”

Key to ACP CreativIT’s acquisition strategy is merging and integrating companies with strong founders with an iron-clad commitment to preserving the “local customer, employee and community roots” of those businesses, said Dunsire.

In the case of ACP CreativIT that philosophy has resulted in 130 years of founder/family ownership heritage, more than $3.5 billion of IT products and solutions sales, $300 million in annual sales and now nearly 300 employees, said Dunsire.

“The future has never been brighter for ACP CreativIT, its employees, our customers and of course our strong vendor partners who are critical to our success,” he said.