Big Sur completes its purchase of Lightning Technology Group, it’s third acquisition in less than twelve months. The combined entities will create a regional powerhouse of IT support and solutions in the greater Tampa Bay region. David Frank has built a fantastic practice with a stellar reputation for more than 30 years in Tampa Bay. Words can’t describe how excited we are to have David and his team join forces with Big Sur”, said Sam Sandusky, Big Sur’s CEO. The Lightning Solution Offering perfectly aligns with Big Sur’s, deepening their expertise in Backup as a Service, Voice over IP, Remote Network Support, Secure Cloud for Small Business, and Security as a Service.
The Lightning acquisition broadens our client base and opens up the Sarasota marketplace for us. David has done a great job with law firms there, a vertical market we enjoy supporting”, said Sandusky. “Sam and I hit it off right away. It didn’t take long for us to realize the combined potential of our teams would be fantastic. In our discussions we realized we both got our start in IT working for Tom Wallace at The Waldec Group; myself in Tampa and Sam in Orlando. We’re setting out to recreate the high energy of the IT business in the 90’s!” said Frank. Tom Wallace grew The Waldec Group to 6 locations with 300 employees before he sold it to IKON Office Solutions in 1997. Tom is currently the Director of Florida Funders the successful Angel Investment Firm headquartered here in Tampa Bay.
The early days of tech growth was an exciting time for everyone involved. But technology has really evolved since then, and so have we. We’ve had some great coaching over the years by some seasoned professionals. I attended a CEO Group with Mark Blumenthal through the Tampa Bay Technology Forum for ten years, and we’ve have a private board of directors through C12 of Tampa Bay for the last 12 years. Former Chair Mark Dillon has had a HUGE impact in my life, who has recently passed the torch to Alex McKennon, local C12 Chair and Director of Tampa Bay C12 Groups.