Computer Drive - Locally Grown Company Expands Again

By Bob Shallit -- Bee Columnist

Published 2:15 am PST Wednesday, November 16, 2005 - As published by the Sacramento Bee today:

Jonna Ward started her tech consulting firm nine years ago with $1,000 she had squirreled away in her bedroom. A recent deal has moved the low-profile firm a big step toward becoming a $100 million enterprise.

The deal is the purchase of Cornerstone Consulting. It's the third acquisition for Folsom-based Visionary Integration Professionals - and positions it to boost sales to $48 million in 2006 - almost double the $26 million Ward expects to generate this year.

Her projection for reaching the $100 million plateau? Most likely 2008, she says, assuming purely organic growth. Another big acquisition could accelerate things.

The firm does tech integration, management consulting and other services for lots of government and commercial sector clients. It has 250 employees in seven offices.

VIP stakes out the middle ground between small firms and industry giants - "We're strong and steady because of our size but also flexible and nimble, like a smaller firm," says Ward, who is 38. "We play on both sides of that."

What happens when VIP hits $100 million? Can it still claim the middle ground? Still outmaneuver industry biggies like Accenture and IBM?

Oh, yeah. And for some time to come, Ward says. "In my eyes, a biggie is a company with $1 billion in sales," she says.

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About VIP

Established in 1996, Visionary Integration Professionals (VIP) is a global technology and outsourcing firm that has provided solutions to over 900 clients in multiple industries as well as federal, state and local government. VIP helps companies challenge boundaries and uncover new possibilities to increase productivity, maximize revenue, improve performance, mitigate risk, and reduce costs. With nearly 1,000 staff companywide, VIP offers expertise in areas of Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing, SAP Integration and Consulting, Technology Integration and Operations, Talent and Learning Management, Quality Management, and Management Consulting. VIP’s corporate headquarters is located in Folsom, California with offices in Sacramento, Minneapolis, Dallas, Denver, New York City, Alexandria, Houston, and Bangalore, India. More information can be found at www.vipconsulting.com.