Beacon Strives to be One-Stop-Shop
Beacon Technologies is serving its smallest customers while growing with the larger ones.
GREENSBORO NEWS & RECORD - Sunday, December 8, 2002:
by Amy Joyner at 373-7075 or ajoyner@news-record.com
GREENSBORO - Whenever AT&T had a big information technology project to complete, employees Mark Dirks, Rich Guarino, Oscar Monahan and John Scaramuzzo were often called into help. The four men finally got wise to their own value. And in 1997, they started their own company, Beacon Technologies, offering information technology help to businesses large and small.
Beacon has grown from the original four partners to nearly 40 employees. And its customers count on Beacon for a wide array of IT services. "When we describe our business, we say we provide premium IT services to help companies get IT right the first time," said senior partner Mark Dirks, who is director of Beacon's systems engineering.
Senior partner John Scaramuzzo said Beacon aims to be a longtime partner with its clients. When Beacon is hired, its employees assess the client's computer information technology needs, then develop a blueprint that can be followed in the future. "When you go into a company and you have to assess all the IT needs, you want to make sure you do that very carefully so you do get it right the first time," Scaramuzzo said. "We like to think that we have a customer for life."
The company, often pegged as simply a Web developer, also provides computer hosting for its clients, software development, search engine marketing, computer system maintenance and usability reviews for their Web sites. The company's goal is to provide a one-stop shop for information technology services for its customers, whether they're large or small. "We really do have experts in every step of the IT process," said senior partner Rich Guarino, who is director of systems integration.
One of the company's biggest projects was working with the U.S. Department of Education to improve the system used to process student loan applications, university grants and requests for funding of work-study programs. Other clients include Duke University, KPMG Consulting, Ernst & Young, Texas Southern University, Flowers Inc. Balloons and Tripps Restaurants. But Beacon has plenty of customers in the Triad, too, among them UNCG, Exclusively Weddings, Grandover Resort, YWCA of Greensboro and Syngenta.
Samet Corp., a general contractor based in Greensboro, hired Beacon in January to develop two Web sites and its corporate intranet system, which is used only by employees. "In selecting Beacon Technologies for this work, we wanted a local company with unmatched qualifications and a hands-on approach, identical to what we expect in our employees," said Samet Vice President Marshall Tuck. "We wanted an IT company that is customer-focused and one that could provide timely, cost effective and goal-oriented project management. Beacon guided us through the process of redeveloping our Web site and developing an intranet information site for our employees that will work well for us for decades to come." Tuck said.
Like many companies, Beacon has been affected by the sluggish economy of late. Many businesses, seeking to stay afloat in troubling financial times, held back on spending much on information technology, Dirks said. Privately held Beacon has annual revenues of less than $10 million. Revenues have been pretty flat over the last two years, Dirks said, but things appear to be improving. "There is a pent-up demand," he said. "Our phone is ringing again. For the past two years, we've had to hunt for business." Beacon, Dirks said, is once again on the upswing. The company is recruiting a few new employees - mostly account executives - and is adding more clients and services for them.
Early this year, the company began SiteReviewExperts.com, marketed to companies that want to see how effective their Web sites are. Oscar Monahan, a senior partner; Margery Kiehn, director of usability engineering; Darren Rogers, a senior search engine engineer; and Sid Winslow, director of test services, take a thorough look at a company's Web site. They point out strengths and weaknesses and rank how effective and user-friendly the site is. "We make it a point to focus on the business needs and goals of the Web site," Monahan said, adding that a bad site can hurt a business's profitability.
Though Beacon has managed to land some big commercial and government clients, the company still does work for smaller businesses, including startups. "We'll never forget the little guys that helped start us," Guarino said. Beacon's recent relationship with Post-Up Marketing proves that. Post-Up, based in Winston-Salem, is set to soon begin selling a product called The Winning Edge, a weighted insole for athletic shoes.
About Beacon Technologies
Beacon Technologies excels in providing internet search engine marketing services, primarily through search engine optimization (organic placement) and paid placement strategies. The company provides varying levels of services to companies of all sizes and verticals nationwide. Beacon also delivers high end web graphic design, web software development, content management solutions and dependable hosting services.
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