CSP Is Celebrating 25 Years Of Success

CSP Turns 25

On March 2, 2020, CSP, Inc. will turn 25! It is an honor to celebrate this great achievement with our incredible team, our long-term clients, and our community. As we reflect on our quarter century, it is the relationships we have cultivated that make us most proud. While the technology has changed dramatically, we have remained true to our goal of delivering an impeccable customer service experience and helping local businesses achieve technical excellence. As we look ahead, we are confident this family-centric approach will continue to propel us to even greater heights.

Looking Back

In 1995, after a successful career at Memorex Telex, Bill Riddick saw an opportunity to provide technology support to local businesses. He struck out on his own, and purchased a 2 person company that would become Computer Service Partners, Inc. Initially, the company provided hardware maintenance to relics from the past: mainframes, IBM I-Series, printers, and Novell networks.

With a steadfast belief in a premier customer service experience and competent technology know-how, CSP quickly grew. From new buildings with more space (four along the way), to acquisitions (two), to accolades (5-time winner of Triangle Business Journal’s Fast 50 for the fastest growing local firms), it’s been an illustrious journey.

Beyond the awards, however, it’s all about the people. We’re most proud of the more than 100 people who have been employed by CSP, and the more than 600+ clients. A tribute to our success is the long-timers: we have a lot of team members and clients who have been with us for 20+ years. These partnerships are immeasurable and bring us so much joy.

Life in 1995

A lot has changed in 25 years. To take you back, here are some cultural, political, and social events of 1995:

• What we were listening to? Sheryl Crow, “All I Wanna Do” – Grammy for Record of the Year
• What were we watching on the big screen? “Forrest Gump” — Oscar, Best Picture
• What were we watching on the TV screen? The OJ Trial
• Who was in the White House? Bill Clinton (still in his first term)
• Who was winning rings? Michael Jordan

On a technical front, most people were still dialing into their AOL Account… “You’ve Got Mail!”

We are proud that we’ve managed to keep up with the changes and continue to adapt. Also, in 1995, companies like Kodak and Sears were part of the DOW Jones Industrial Average. This is a great reminder that it is paramount for companies to continually re-invent themselves. It’s this healthy paranoia, coupled with a great foundation, that makes us extremely bullish on the future.

Looking Ahead

While the technology may change, our core principles will stay the same. We will continue to embrace values of treating people well, doing the right thing, and looking to build trusting partnerships. This foundation is critical.

However, we’re also excited to continue to adapt to the ever changing realities of new technology. We’re shifting more resources into critical areas of growth such as IT security and the cloud. We’re excited to provide solutions that are secure, but also more agile, user friendly, and productive. This next phase of technology is all about accessibility, security, collaboration, and ease of use. We are investing to help you along the journey.

In conclusion, thank you. Thanks to our awesome employees. Thanks to our incredible partners (both clients and vendors). Thanks to our community. We’re humbled and honored to be surrounded by so many great people, people who through CSP, we now call “friend.”

Cheers to 25 great years and 25 more!

-Stephen Riddick