Competing tech companies complete merger

A managed IT services provider in the area recently completed a merger with another MSP company in a move that is expected to nearly double the size of the company. 

Entech, which serves Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, Bradenton and the Tampa Bay area, merged with ITVantage into a company that will now support more than 17 vertical industries. The combined entity will continue to operate as Entech, according to a statement. Financial terms of the merger weren't disclosed. 

“We are thrilled to announce Entech’s merger with ITVantage,” says Jake Spanberger, Entech’s CEO, in the release. “Through our years in competition, a respectful friendship formed between our owners and leadership teams. The values and cultures of our organizations overlap in many ways.

“Both companies are truly committed to making our communities in Florida a better place to live, work and play. We realized, together, we can double down on our commitment of enabling people to do what matters for the betterment of our employees, our client business partners and the communities we serve.”

The new team primarily consists of senior level IT engineers and experienced desktop technicians. The merger also allows both companies to pool their resources together, including ITVantage’s SOC 2 Type 2 compliance. Entech will now be able to offer more services like IT project delivery, public and private cloud services, business continuity, backup and data protection, cybersecurity, risk management and compliance, and health care technologies.

Under the new company, Spanberger will continue to serve as CEO and Buddy Martin will remain president. Jeremy Stakely, formerly of ITVantage, will now serve as executive VP and chief strategy officer. 

As a larger company now, Entech has said it will take on a combined roster of small and mid-size clients from both companies. 

“This merger will enable us to focus more on innovation and cutting-edge security,” Stakely says in the statement. “We’ll be bringing the best products and services to our client business partners that will propel them into the future. This is truly two great companies joining forces to best serve our employees, our client business partners and the communities we serve here in Florida and beyond.”

Stakely also notes that both company cultures align in sharing a passion for creating partnerships and being a well-managed service provider. As a way to manage the transition, the company has formed a transitional leadership team that was put together by senior leadership teams from both companies. ITVantage employees officially joined the Entech payroll and HR services in December. 

Additionally, the company secured a new office space to accommodate the Fort Myers technical services, project and administrative staff, as well as further fuel collaboration. 

“I have no doubt that the two companies are better together than apart and am excited to see our synergies as we focus on a common goal: people serving people, especially when our client partners need us the most,” Spanberger says. “When we do good business, good things happen.”