IT firm plans big growth byte

BRADENTON — United Systems, already one of the largest IT consulting firms based in Bradenton, announced major growth plans for 2013 and beyond.

The strategy, including hiring three new sales people, is designed to get the firm in early on the budding recovery, United President and CEO David Spire told the Business Review today. “We've been planning this for a year,” says Spire. “We need to go after market share on a real aggressive standpoint. That's my gut instinct.”

United Systems, now with 12 employees and four in sales full-time, focuses on managed services, IT consulting and cloud services for a variety of clients. Annual revenues, says Spire, are in the $1 million to $5 million range, and have been flat in terms of growth the past few years. But Spire says most of 2012 has been steadier than he expected. “People are spending money and support on infrastructure again,” says Spire.

The trio of new salespeople, according to a release, is Jim Kennedy, Nick Fitton and Brad Stanford. Spire says all three have run their own businesses before, a significant point. “When you are doing business to business sales, that really helps,” says Spire. “That's kind of unique.”

A Bradenton native, Spire co-founded United Systems in 2004. He projects that with the new sales force in place, the firm will at least double sales in each of the next two years.