UCG Technologies Accelerates Geographic Expansion with Acquisition of Pittsburgh-based Integrator

We are very pleased to announce that UCG Technologies has acquired the IBM i Series Solutions business of E-Safe Technologies LLC (formerly Premier Technologies, Inc.) a Pittsburgh-based IT service provider.
The acquisition will accelerate UCG’s growth in the Midwest as it continues its transition and expansion from a regional integrator into a full-service provider of backup, disaster recovery (DR), enterprise applications and security training with a focus on the IBM POWER8 Systems platform. UCG now has customers in 31 states, Canada, Caribbean and Europe.

We have long been impressed by E-Safe’s (Premier) strength in the Pittsburgh market for POWER8 solutions. Frankly, they owned the Pittsburgh market. This acquisition not only opens the door to hundreds of accounts, but gives those customers access to a broader range of software and services. It’s a win for UCG, a win for E-safe and a win for their customers.

E-Safe’s customer base includes more than 250 companies in the greater Pittsburgh market and four other states in the Great Lakes area.

Rob Wise, Technical Engineer
UCG Technologies

E-Safe will focus its resources on the burgeoning computer network maintenance and IT managed services market. Rob Wise, who was previously IBM Practice Manager for E-Safe, has joined UCG as Technical Engineer where he will work with UCG Vice President Mike Powall and Operations Manager Gina Creager to ensure a smooth and successful migration for E-Safe customers. All current consulting, service and maintenance agreements will be honored by E-Safe and fulfilled by UCG Technologies.

“Success in the IT services business is all about focus,” said Tim Steinour, President and Owner of E-Safe Technologies. “We foresee tremendous growth in our new lines of business, so we’re doubling down on those opportunities. In UCG we’ve found a partner who can not only ensure our customers world-class support but can bring additional products to the table.”

Read full press release              Meet Rob Wise

Please join us in welcoming Rob to the UCG Technologies team!

Thank you,

Jim Kandrac, President

Q1 2016 UCG Newsletter

Designed by Harryarts - Freepik.com Happy New Year! It's a brand new year, and at UCG we've hit the ground running! For nearly 30 years, our focus has been on continued growth through innovation. We view change as yet another opportunity to serve our clients at the highest level of excellence. And we believe that in order to continue to excel, we can never be satisfied with the status quo. 2015: A year in review. Existing clients are steadily upgrading to IBM Power8; adding cyber security training to their UCG cloud backup and disaster recovery solution; and in many cases, have undergone a complete technology refresh including the addition of S2K Enterprise Management Software (EMS).  Increasingly, companies are migrating from tape backup to UCG's secure cloud backup. In February, we entered into a partnership with Expedient Data Centers to meet our clients' growing needs. This is in addition to our existing partnership with BlueBridge Networks. UCG now has access to 19 secure data centers across the U.S. and Canada.  During numerous conversations with our clients, it became clear that we urgently needed to add an additional layer of security to protect their business critical data. Today, the risk of human error and the increasing odds that a company will be hacked cannot be denied. We listened.  At the end of September we announced UCG's partnership with KnowBe4 to add cyber security training and employee phishing tests to our cloud backup and DR solution.  Scheduled simulated phishing attacks and monthly reports now provide executives the insight they need to maximize training ROI and track security compliance.  Year-end results: We rocked! As we have added new product and service offerings and valuable business partnerships, the numbers speak for themselves! At year end, UCG's recurring revenue increased by 27%. Looking ahead to the New Year. In December, Carbonite announced that it had purchased Seagate's Evault. The hope for the industry and marketplace is that Carbonite takes a very legitimate suite of products, integrates it with a much better go-to-market strategy and continues to solve client backup and DR business issues and pains. What does this mean to UCG clients? UCG is being proactive on behalf of our clients to ensure a smooth transition. Rest assured that UCG will continue to serve our clients in the manner of excellence they have deserved and enjoyed for nearly 30 years. James Kandrac, president & founder of UCG has published an industry response to the announcement.You can read the article here. UCG is YOUR Strategic Service Provider (SSP). Our business model is evolving as well. As a Strategic Service Provider (SSP), UCG has long been known as a trusted technology adviser. Indeed, our role becomes even more compelling with greater emphasis on cloud and managed services. This translates to helping our clients make complex technology decisions, and find the right path to the cloud to digitally transform their businesses and increase their competitive advantage. Meanwhile, back at the ranch... In Q3 2015, the decision was made to rebrand UCG in keeping with our philosophy of continuous innovation and evolution. In fact, since its founding in 1987, UCG has reinvented itself approximately every seven years. Behind the scenes, design and development at our marketing firm, MoMo Companies, has begun on our new website, expected to launch at the end of Q1. The new site will be streamlined, easy to navigate, and will include all of UCG's products and services. The site is being developed with our clients at the forefront of our minds.  A preview of what's to come! UCG will have a new name, logo, and URL! Upon launch of our new website, UCG will do business as UCG Technologies. The URL will be ucgtechnologies.com.  UCG's VAULT400 Baas will receive an updated name and logo as well. Our cloud backup and DR solution will be referred to on our website and in our marketing campaigns as UCG Technologies BaaS,UCG's BaaS and/or UCG's cloud backup and DR solution as applicable. A version of our new logo for our BaaS solution is in development now. We are all very excited about this new chapter in UCG's history!  As always, we remain focused as we continue to evolve, innovate, and stay true to our nearly 30 year tradition of engaged client relationships. Thank you for your continued interest in UCG! Please enjoy our newsletter and forward to colleagues within and outside your organization. Thank you for your friendship, your confidence, and your business.  Atlantic Dominion Distributors We are pleased to introduce Atlantic Dominion Distributors, a successful family owned business founded in 1875! They are located in Virginia Beach, VA and Hope Mills, NC.  Atlantic Dominion recently chose UCG’s BaaS cloud backup and DR solution to protect their business critical data. Atlantic Dominion currently supplies over 10,000 different products to all classes of the retail trade. They were referred to UCG by one of their valued business partners, Summit Business Associates of Richmond, Virginia. UCG specializes in cloud hosted hardware as well as cloud data backup and disaster recovery. UCG’s BaaS was selected by Christopher M. Berry, Director of Information Technology for Atlantic Dominion, to backup mission-critical data on their IBM midrange system. Berry stated, “Atlantic Dominion wanted to replace their daily tape drive backups with a cloud backup solution and also have a complete disaster recovery system in place. My IT staff and I thoroughly researched our options. It was clear that UCG’s BaaS would be a perfect fit for our operation. We have received excellent training and setup assistance from their technical staff, specifically Lead Engineer, Vladimir Capitanov. I highly recommend UCG’s cloud backup and DR solution.”    UCG’s BaaS is currently backing up Atlantic Dominion’s data nightly, compressing it, encrypting the data, and sending it over the cloud to two secure HIPAA compliant data centers that can run for seven days without re-fueling. They also have access to UCG’s Quick Ship program at no additional charge. UCG will send out a like system within 48 hours in the event of a system disaster, fire or flood. The backup system can be used up to 30 days if required. About Atlantic Dominion Distributors atlanticdominiondistributors.com  Leroy W. Davis founded the Old Dominion Tobacco Company in 1875. The company began as a cigar manufacturing establishment, supplying retail tobacco stores with handmade cigars. Mr. Davis then acquired several local tobacco jobbers that led the company into the distribution of multiple tobacco products. In 1902 Mr. Davis again bought out several other tobacco companies, and formed the L.W. Davis Tobacco Company. On May 27, 1904, the Old Dominion Tobacco Company was incorporated and was well established in the distribution business.  The company began adding lines of products other than tobacco, and currently supplies over 10,000 different products to all classes of the retail trade. The company is now under the leadership of Robin Davis Ray, great granddaughter of the founder, doing business as Atlantic Dominion Distributors. In addition to the distribution services, Atlantic Dominion Distributors offers a Food Service Division, Vending Department, CO2 and Fixture Installation Department.  From its humble beginning the company has continued to grow and is now the 16th largest convenience store distributor in the United States. They have accomplished this by meeting and exceeding the needs of their retail customers for over 140 years. Visit Our Resource Libraries Be sure to take advantage of the valuable information available for download in our VAULT400 and Enterprise Management Software Resource Libraries. United Computer Group, Inc. 7100 E. Pleasant Valley Road, Suite #250 Independence, OH 44131-5556 Toll Free: 800.211.8798 Main: 216.520.1333 Email:info@ucgrp.comucgrp.com | vault400.com James A. Kandrac, President Michael D. Powall, Vice President January 2016 Click for latest news Best practices for staying safe in an increasingly exploited digital universe start here. Sign up for your free phishing test today. Over the past several months, UCG has been in communication with our new and existing BaaS clients regarding the urgency to act now to shield their organizations from cyber attacks. To protect their organizations, over the last few years, thousands of organizations in the U.S have started to phish their own users. IT pros have realized that doing this adds an essential security layer. Today, phishing your own users is just as important as having antivirus and a firewall.  Why? If you don't do it yourself, the bad guys will. The bad guys are business people too and their time is money. They go after the low hanging fruit; your users. Traditional once-a-year security awareness training just does not cut it anymore. Is there a patch for ignorance? You'd be surprised.  Phishing your own employees and finding out who the culprits are is a logical course of action. It's a great assessment to find out the phish-prone percentage of your organization, and usually higher than you thought.    Request your free phishing test and learn more about cyber security training for your employees.  We have your data protected, but not from human error. We feel it is imperative to ensure all employees are educated and up to speed on how to spot ransomware attacks BEFORE they click on a dangerous link.  Keep your team on their toes with security top of mind! Cybersecurity predictions for 2016 by Steve Weisman, Special for USA TODAY Last year I quoted late, great sage and Hall of Fame baseball player Yogi Berra. Yogi once noted, "It's tough to make predictions especially about the future." Fortunately, for me, mine for 2015 were accurate. And so I will venture out to again make predictions, many of which should be considered warnings, for 2016 — as I remain all the while cognizant of the words of the Chinese philosopher La Tzu that "those who have knowledge, don't predict. Those who predict don't have knowledge." Read Steve's cybersecurity predictions for 2016.  In honor of our valued clients, employees, and vendors, UCG has made donations to the following charitable and educational organizations this holiday season.    The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.  The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the largest voluntary health organization dedicated to funding research, finding cures and ensuring access to treatments for blood cancer patients.  Race For the Rescues. This unique non-profit, no-kill organization is dedicated to eliminating animal suffering and euthanasia.Their mission is to unite welfare organizations to fight pet overpopulation and save as many animal lives as possible.  Our Lady of the Wayside. Established nearly 50 years ago, Our Lady of the Wayside supports children and adults with developmental disabilities through a Family of Services.  Wounded Warrior Project. Established in 2003, the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) began when several veterans and friends, moved by stories of the first wounded service members returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq, took action to help others in need.  The RIFI Institute, Chicago, IL. (Scholarship). The Reason, Individualism, Freedom Institute (RIFI) is a non-profit educational organization devoted to fostering active minds, empowering each individual with the knowledge, reasoning skills, and independence to understand the world and build a life of adventure and creative achievement. Read more about each of these organizations. From our families to yours, we wish you peace, joy, good health, and prosperity. Happy New Year! Socially Connected You can find us on LinkedIn, Twitter,YouTube, Google+, Facebook, and here on our Blog. We make an effort to connect on social media with our clients, vendors, and business partners, so please reach out and let us know where we can find you. Speaking of social media, where have you found the most success connecting with other technology companies/ technology-minded individuals?  Let us know what you think at info@ucgrp.com.

UCG Associate Success Story: Michael D. Powall, VP

As UCG approaches its 28-year anniversary in December, we’ve taken a look back at the people who helped shape and grow the company, and have gotten to know them through a series of interviews titled UCG Alumni Success Stories.

In this article, we are switching gears to highlight our longtime associate, Mike Powall. Many of you know Mike and have worked closely with him over the years. If you've not yet met, we are pleased to introduce Michael D. Powall, Vice President of UCG. Mike has been with the company since July 1993 when he was hired as a Systems Consultant. Twenty-two years later, he remains a major contributor to the success and growth of UCG.

A little background.

This story begins with two friends from Wickliffe, Ohio who went their separate ways after high school. Mike Powall went to Bluffton University, while Jim Kandrac attended Cleveland State University. Jim graduated in 1983 with a Bachelor’s degree in marketing; Mike graduated in 1986 with a Bachelors degree in Business.

In 1987 at 26 years old, Jim founded United Computer Group, Inc. Before long, this startup technology company began to take shape. As it gained momentum, Jim needed help and began to build his team. At the time, Mike was working for a UCG competitor, and he and Jim reunited while competing for a deal! Jim was impressed by Mike’s competitive spirit, extensive computer sales and leasing experience, can-do attitude, and admirable work ethic. Jim knew he would be a great fit and offered him an opportunity.

Fast-forward twenty-two years.

“Mike is truly a thoroughbred racehorse. He wins the short sprints and has always been it it for the long haul. He is dedicated to UCG and handles authority and his responsibilities like a true gentleman. Mike can be counted on 100% and has been a true friend and valued business associate for over 22 years.” 

                                                                                       - Jim Kandrac

                                                   Mike Powall

“I have truly been blessed to be part of the UCG team for the past 22 years. The company and I have grown tremendously throughout my tenure. It would not have happened without the support of Jim Kandrac. Jim has provided me with the tools and environment required to thrive and succeed.”

Mike Powall, VP UCG

Mike, where were you working prior to joining UCG, and what type of work were you doing?

I worked for five years with Leasing Dynamics Inc. in Cleveland, Ohio. I was responsible for leasing and selling IBM Systems Hardware and Software.

Can you describe how everything came together back in 1993 when you began discussions and joined Jim at UCG?

Jim and I actually became reacquainted competing against each other on a large System deal with a local Cleveland company. It was a very intense and challenging transaction with many players. Jim observed the way I competed and frequently asked if I would like to work for him. As fate would have it, after the deal was complete I ended up joining UCG. 

What was it like to work for UCG in those early years when the company was just six years old, but beginning to grow?

I had to start over in the business which was not easy. I was fortunate to have a great support staff at UCG plus valuable experience that was gained at Leasing Dynamics, thanks to my cousin Bob Delaney who introduced me to the successful Cleveland Company. With that great combination I was able to hit the ground running.

Please tell me about some of the responsibilities and tasks you were involved with initially as a Systems Consultant, and how your role evolved over the years.

I started out consulting and selling in specific accounts locally and in the surrounding Ohio states. I started small, selling computer peripheral products to my accounts. Eventually that led to Installation and sales of large systems.

And some of your greatest challenges?

The toughest challenge when I first came to UCG was starting over. I was not able to call on existing customers because of a non-compete agreement. With a lot of faith, the support of my wife, and hard work I was able to succeed.

What skills and experiences would an individual need to enter and excel in your specific industry?

A college education, hard work, and humility.

What do you envision for the company over the next five years?

I see our company continuing to grow. Since we began offering our VAULT 400 cloud backup and disaster recovery solution many years ago, we have proven that we can grow exponentially while adding resources as required.

What person/people, living or dead, do you admire most, and why?

I admire my Mother and Father the most because they brought me into this world. They provided me the personality, faith and work ethic to succeed in all facets of life.

Last but not least, can you share some of your most memorable moments at UCG over the past 22 years?

My most memorable moments at UCG happen with every transaction we complete with a new or existing client. It thrills me to offer a service, a system, software, or a solution that helps their company, and in turn helps UCG and enables me provide a very nice lifestyle for my family.

"I grew up in Wickliffe, Ohio in a family of nine; my parents, four brothers and two sisters. 

Without a clear objective yet in mind, I went to Lakeland Community College after graduating from Wickliffe High School in 1981. While working at my Father’s bar (Sonny’s Side of the Street), I graduated with an Associate degree in Applied Business and a Minor in Communications. I realized I still desired a higher education and wanted to play college football at any level.

After visiting multiple colleges in Ohio, I chose Bluffton College (now Bluffton University). I played football in my Junior and Senior year on a successful NAIA Division II football team. I credit the university, the football program, and the Head Coach, Carlin Carpenter, for believing in me and giving me a wonderful experience and most importantly, a quality faith-based education.

I reside in Highland Heights, Ohio with my beautiful wife Connie and my three children, Jake, Danielle and Hannah. Without them my life would not be complete.” – Mike Powall


Learn more about Mike Powall and Jim Kandrac.

Interview conducted by Francine Ciaccia, MoMo Companies Ltd.

Upcoming Events!

UCG's Jim Kandrac and Mike Powall are getting ready for several upcoming shows and conferences. Come meet with us at the following events.

CIO Symposium

September 10, 2015

7:30 am - 4:30 pm

Embassy Suites

Rockside Road, Independence

The 16th annual OHTec CIO Symposium is the longest-running gathering of IT executives in Northeast Ohio. OHTec brings together thought leaders from the region and from around the country to bring valuable, strategic-level information to CIOs and IT executives leading the region’s enterprise IT organizations. Register Now!

  

Optimum Solutions Users Conference

September 15-18

Hilton Suites Downtown

Nashville, TN

The conference will kick off Tuesday evening at 5:00 pm with registration, a reception with light refreshments, and a great opportunity for social networking with other professionals in your area of expertise. Learn more.

2015 VAI Executive Summit

September 29-30

Hyatt Regency Long Island

at Wind Watch Golf Club

Be sure to stop by our exhibit to learn how UCG can help you work smarter, faster, and reclaim your time with VAULT400 BaaS. While you're there, play UCG's Scratch Off game; 50% of players win various UCG prizes. Grand prize winner will receive an Apple iPad!  Register here!

The longest-running gathering of CIOs in northeast Ohio!

Thursday, September 10, 2015

7:30 am - 4:30 pm

Embassy Suites

Rockside Road, Independence

UCG is pleased to be a sponsor and exhibitor at the 16th annual OHTec CIO Symposium, the longest-running gathering of IT executives in Northeast Ohio.

"OHTec brings together thought leaders from the region and from around the country to bring valuable, strategic-level information to CIOs and IT executives leading the region’s enterprise IT organizations.

Since 2000, The CIO Symposium has offered an exceptional forum for CIOs and IT executives to share insights on critical business issues and make important connections with one another. Through thought-provoking keynote speakers and engaging breakout sessions, the 2015 CIO Symposium offers an invaluable experience for CIOs of any industry, for any size enterprise and at any stage of their CIO career."

Register Now!

Learn more by visiting ciosymposium.org. We look forward to seeing you!

LIFE IS A POKER GAME by James A. Kandrac

It’s called “theatre in the round.”

May I suggest regardless of the path you choose: you can’t get where you’re going if you don’t know where you want to go. Young men and women’s goals can certainly change over time. Unexpected turns can create completely different and unanticipated outcomes…and life, as a poker game, continues to roll.

The compelling theatre.

A basic plan. Work it. Be flexible enough to change it. Nothing too detailed or exotic. Remember, Southwest Airlines started on the back of a cocktail napkin and of the U.S. majors, is the only profitable airline.

The beginning.

At the age of 12 I began molding my plan. I wanted to work for IBM. Back in the mid 1970’s, IBM was a growing company in the technology field. That’s all I knew. I wanted a good job, wanted to sell and make money! After completing undergraduate studies at Cleveland State University in 1983, I entered graduate school and successfully started my dream with an internship at IBM. I quickly became disenchanted. IBM may be challenging and rewarding for some. I found it to be extremely political and not an environment I would prosper in and enjoy, long-term. Politics was part of the game and I didn’t want to play. I was born to be an entrepreneur and control my destiny, but didn’t know where to go.

After a six-month search, the president of an entrepreneurial $18M computer leasing firm brought me on board as his assistant. Within 12 months, I was promoted to Sales and helped grow the firm to $125M in three years. We went public and soon thereafter, the environment changed from entrepreneurial to political. Additional layers of management were created, territories and commissions were reduced. The company needed to appeal to Wall Street and shareholders, and unfortunately for me, the firm became a “mini-IBM”.

In June 1987 I went home to my wife of two years and six month old daughter. In December 1987, at age 26, I founded United Computer Group, Inc. (UCG) with $30,000 in savings, and gave myself six months to make it.

Catch perfect.

Today, UCG is a successful and growing company and has been for nearly 30 years. This is not because I am overly intelligent, but because the UCG team has focused and worked harder than our competitors. People and great clients are your most important assets.

Require them to work hard, be honest, take pride in what they do and have fun at it. A marriage of any kind isn’t easy. Go after your dreams and do not give up.

My most important asset, valued over everything else, has been the never-ending support of my wife Pam. Excitement, challenges, successes, and even failures.

The Kandrac Family
Jim and his wife Pamela live in Brecksville, OH;
Lauren resides in Chicago, IL; Kristin and Bret Ernst live in Agoura Hills, California

I controlled my destiny.

Remember: Life is a poker game. You can’t get where you’re going if you don’t know where you want to go.

DOWNLOAD FULL ARTICLE

   

James A. Kandrac is Founder and President of United Computer Group, Inc.  UCG has served over 1,500 clients globally. Visit ucgrp.com and vault400.com.

UCG is an IBM Advanced Business Partner specializing in providing technology solutions to mid-market companies.  

Most Interesting Persons: Ted Turner and Herb Kelleher

Brecksville residents experience exciting Republican Presidential Primary Debate

By John Benson, Brecksville Gazette

August 19, 2015

Northeast Ohioans are still buzzing about the recent Republican presidential Primary Debate held earlier this month at Quicken Loans Arena. “Certainly it was very exciting,” said Brecksville resident Jim Kandrac, who attended the debate with friend Frank Fantozzi.

“The first debate being here brought people and dollars to Cleveland. It was a perfect kickoff for the city as we go into the next year and ultimately host the convention next July.”

While the debate itself lasted two hours, Kandrac, the president and founder of United Computer Group, Inc. and VAULT400, said the night was a whirlwind. Watching from his club level seat, he specifically enjoyed the commercial breaks.

“At home you’re watching commercial breaks but when you’re down there, things were happening with the moderators and the 10 candidates interacting between themselves,” Kandrac said. “I was watching who are they talking to, who are they not talking to. To see that was really interesting.”

Read more!

Global tube and packaging supplier Unette Corp. selects UCG’s VAULT400 BaaS

We're pleased to announce that Unette Corporation, headquartered in Randolph, NJ, has selected UCG’s VAULT400 Baas as their cloud backup provider.

Unette Corporation’s IT manager, Christopher Doscher, conducted a lengthy search before choosing VAULT400 BaaS to protect business-critical data on their IBM Midrange System. With VAULT400, they are now backing up daily, weekly, and monthly in addition to their annuals. The data is compressed, encrypted and sent to UCG's secure, off-site, HIPAA compliant data center in Cleveland, Ohio as well as their data center in Atlanta, Georgia for a second replication.

With VAULT400, data is available for immediate, user-initiated restore 365x24x7. In the event of disaster, Unette will receive Hardware Disaster Recovery Quick Ship free of charge from United Computer Group, Inc.

About Unette Corporation

Unette.com

Unette Corporation, the originator of single-use tubes, has produced tubes since 1955 and continues to increase its production capabilities. In the beginning flexible packaging was Unette’s only offering and continues to be a strong part of its sales today.

Unette has also expanded into the European market, establishing an exclusive licensing agreement with Packaging Services Unette, Ltd. in Manchester, England. The new facility opened under the name Unette European Operations.

The Future of Enterprise Management Software Has Arrived

UCG’s technology roadmap, our shared vision with VAI and IBM, provides companies with a business model based on best industry processes that leverages technology to create and improve performance.

Enterprise Management Software (EMS) products include solutions for Distribution, Manufacturing, and Multi-Channel Retail with industry specific features for Apparel, Durable Goods, Food and Pharmaceutical. In addition, web based software provides mobile access enabling every user in the organization immediate anytime, anywhere computing.

These feature-rich supply chain and business management software solutions can improve your company's internal efficiencies and external responsiveness while delivering bottom-line results.

With the introduction of the S2K Smart Center, our customers can compete at a very high level, and by leveraging the flexibility and mobility that the web provides they have unlimited growth potential.

Request Demo

Download brochures 

IBM Engines of the Week: Colocation Solution Keeps Insurer Online Amid Hurricane Sandy's Wrath

Though the IT team at Newark, NJ-based International Fidelity Insurance Company (IFIC) had rehearsed its disaster recovery scenario with precision, the team couldn't have anticipated an event that would take out power, roads and communications across a wide swath of the mid-Atlantic coast. When Hurricane Sandy hit in October, 2012, the disaster recovery team had to fail over to a co-location site with the clock ticking on its uninterruptible power supply and no phone service.

Watch this podcast to see how with the guidance from IBM partner United Computer Group, IFIC avoided nearly $2 million in lost revenues and learned valuable lessons to help it prepare for future incidents.

UCG Alumni Success Stories: Keith King

This is the second in a series of interviews titled "UCG Alumni Success Stories" conducted by our marketing consultant, Francine Ciaccia, of MoMo Companies Ltd. We are pleased and honored to introduce former UCG Intern, Keith King. Keith, thank you for being a part of UCG's success!

Keith King
Chief Operating Officer
Scratch Off Systems

scratchoff.com

Keith King is Chief Operating Officer of Scratch Off Systems, a successful printing and label manufacturing company based in Brecksville, Ohio. Scratch Off specializes in label manufacturing; scratch and win promotions; gift card printing; and promotional printing. Scratch Off Systems manufactures all of their products in-house.

Keith King, COO
Scratch Off Systems

Keith was the second employee when he started in 2001.Today he is responsible for sales, marketing, human resources, estimating, operations management, and the overall supervision of their 45 employees.

“I have grown this company by always ensuring that our value exceeds our price. I train my employees not to sell products, but rather to be a consultant and a problem solver.” – Keith King

Keith, in 2000 you were a freshman at David N. Myers University in Cleveland, Ohio majoring in Marketing. When and how did you meet Jim Kandrac, and how did it come to be that he offered you an internship at UCG?

Keith King, 2000

At the end of my senior year of high school I was the student council president at CVCC and they informed me about the internship at UCG. I wasn't really looking for an internship as an office assistant, but after meeting Jim Kandrac, I was interested in learning more about him and his company. Jim was very enthusiastic and seemed to know the secret to being happy and successful.

You were at the right place at the right time, and trusted your instincts; good for you! Please tell me about some of the responsibilities and tasks you were involved with during your year at UCG.

Thank you; that is true! Jim and UCG’s VP Mike Powall noticed my interest in sales and marketing and allowed me concentrate more of my time in that area than with the general office assistant duties. This allowed me to use my creativity to compose email invitations to seminars and demonstrations. I also took great pride in my ability to cold call prospects to develop leads for Mike and the rest of the sales team.

Jim and Mike clearly recognized your potential. In addition to growing your sales and marketing aptitude, what did you learn about the world of technology while at UCG?

Mike taught me the value of CRM software and how it can organize a company, allowing for simplistic production and communication throughout the organization. What was really interesting to me at the time was that end user companies who purchased VAI's S2K ERP Solution via UCG could have their customers check live inventory, pricing specials, and even configure complex product purchases. Today this is called "web self-service", saving their clients time, money, cost, and overall increasing efficiencies and responsiveness to client needs. Mike was a wealth of knowledge when it came to technology.

What did you enjoy most and what did you find most challenging during your year at UCG?

I loved learning how to sell from Jim and Mike. They taught me how to sell with confidence and how to get responses from my voicemails and emails. As a training initiative, just prior to a new marketing campaign Jim would have me leave him voicemails until I finally left a voicemail that would interest him enough to call me back. I was 18 years old, and Jim was the most intimidating person I had ever met, so having him listen to my voicemail within hearing distance was horrifying! After failing more times than I would like to admit, I was able to finally earn his approval. This was a huge boost to my confidence! I figured if I could get this 6'4” successful businessman with his powerful presence to approve my voicemail technique, then there was not much else out there to be afraid of. To this day there are only two people to ever intimidate me: Jim and my grandfather!

I also enjoyed going on sales calls with Jim and watching him command a room during a presentation. I remember how impressed I was to drive to the presentations with him in his white GMC Denali. After our first successful year at Scratch Off Systems, my first purchase was indeed a GMC Denali!

Those experiences are priceless, and were the catalyst for the wonderfully successful career you now have. What was your most valuable take-away when you left UCG to join Scratch Off Systems?

Absolutely! Being young and seeing the successful business that Jim and Mike created made me extremely hungry for my own success. When I started with Scratch Off Systems 14 years ago it was a very small startup located in the upstairs of a beat up old house. I took a huge risk to leave a thriving company for a small startup, but if I was going to be somebody in this world, I had to take a risk sooner or later. Using Jim and Mike's passion for success as inspiration, I was able to take the company from doing $25k per month in sales to over $150k per month in under a year! Today, we have a 25,000 square foot facility with 45 employees!

What advice do you have for individuals looking to set or adjust their career path?

The best advice that I could give anyone looking to adjust their career path is to find what you are good at and then dedicate your time and energy to perfecting that craft. Whether it’s sales, marketing, or website development, pick a skill and dedicate yourself to becoming an expert. I can train anyone to be great at what they do and to make a lot of money if they like what they are doing and are committed to improving their skill level.

I would also suggest finding a mentor who is successful in the field that you are looking to move into. I was able to learn a lot from Jim and Mike in a short amount of time that and that helped me to springboard my career. There is no question that you will learn much more from a successful mentor than you will ever learn from a book or in a classroom.


Keith King is 34 years old and married to his high school sweetheart; they have been together since they were 15. Keith and his wife have three children, ages seven, five, and one. He grew up in Macedonia, Ohio and currently lives in Hudson, Ohio. Keith enjoys hiking, fishing and sport clay shooting.


Learn more about Keith King by visiting his LinkedIn profile. Visit Scratch Off Systems online at scratchoff.com.

Learn more about United Computer Group, Inc.; James A. Kandrac, Founder and President; and Mike Powall, Vice President.

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