Consolidated Technologies, Inc. Is Once Again Included in the Inc. Magazine 5,000 Fastest-Growing Companies in America
On August 20, 2008 Inc. Magazine Inc. included Consolidated Technologies, Inc. on its annual ranking of the 5000 fastest-growing private companies in the country.  The list is the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy – America’s independent-minded entrepreneurs. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy and Consolidated Technologies, Inc. is proud to be included among them.
“Our second annual Inc. 5000 continues the most ambitious project in business journalism,” said Inc. 5000 Project Manager Jim Melloan. “The Inc. 5000 gives an unrivalled portrait of young, underreported companies across all industries doing fascinating things with cutting-edge business models, as well as older companies that are still showing impressive growth.” Consolidated Technologies, Inc., an award-winning converged technology company with offices in New York City, Port Chester NY, and Princeton NJ, credits its growth over the past several years on client referrals, innovative marketing and aggressive recruiting.  During the last decade, CTI has grown organically from 3 people to over 85 employees.  Revenues in 1997 were $650,000 and grew to approximately $22 million in 2007 with a steady growth rate ranging between 20% - 60% each year. It is this kind of impressive growth that landed the company on the Inc. List of 5,000 Fastest-Growing Companies. The 5000 companies that made the list reported aggregate revenue of $185 billion and median three-year growth of 147 percent.  Most important, the 2008 Inc. 5000 companies were engines of job growth, having created more than 826,033 jobs since those companies were founded. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and a list of the fastest-growing companies that can be sorted by industry and region can be found at www.inc5000.com.  Hottest Regions for Fastest-Growing Companies The New York metro area tops the Inc. 5000 list with the most companies of any city with 355.  Washington, D.C. comes in a close second with 300 companies on the list; Los Angeles comes in third with 244 companies, and Atlanta (194 companies) and Chicago (189 companies) round out the top five.  Interestingly, only 62 companies on the Inc. 5000 are not based in metropolitan areas.  Hottest Industries for Fastest-Growing Businesses The most notable median growth categories among the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing businesses are in the Energy category (which grew by 298%), followed by Government Services (which grew by 220%), Security (200% growth), IT Services and Software (both grew by 187%), and Consulting (which grew by 182% on average). The largest business category is IT Services, with 579 Inc. 5000 companies.  Business Services (532 companies), Construction (459), Manufacturing (405), and Advertising & Marketing (361) complete the top five industries ranked on the 2008 Inc. 5000. Methodology The 2008 Inc. 5000 list measures revenue growth from 2004 through 2007.  To qualify, companies must be U.S.-based and privately held, independent – not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies – as of December 31, 2007, and have had at least $200,000 in revenue in 2004, and $2 million in 2007.

David Blau, CSO for Consolidated Technologies, Inc. is Appointed to the 2008-09 PHONE+ magazine and Channel Partners Conference & Expo Advisory Board  On August 18th, PHONE+ magazine and the Channel Partners Conference & Expo announced their selections for their 2008-09 joint advisory board, naming CTI’s Chief Strategy Officer David Blau among the prestigious group. Mr. Blau currently serves as the Chairman of Avaya’s SMB council. He is also the former President of the National Association of Telecom Dealers, a 2500 member organization representing the interests of users, owners, buyers, sellers, and maintainers of telecommunications equipment worldwide. The PHONE+ magazine and the Channel Partners Conference & Expo advisory board is composed of master agents, independent agents, carriers/service providers, VARs, resellers, dealers/interconnects, attorneys, consultants and representatives from several industry associations, including the Agent Alliance, Technology Channel Association, WIBOC and TAG National. "We are excited to have our new advisory board in place to advise us on PHONE+ and the Channel Partners Conference & Expo," said Khali Henderson, editor in chief of PHONE+ magazine. "We had more than 70 qualified applicants apply for board positions and feel that we have selected a board that will add valuable insight to these resources and the channel." Advisory board duties include providing story ideas and blogging for PHONE+ as well as assisting in planning the Channel Partners Conference & Expo.  About PHONE+ PHONE+ magazine is the country's leading resource for communication distribution channels. For more than two decades, PHONE+ has been the undisputed leader in providing news and analysis to alternate distribution channels serving the communications industry. It is the unrivaled resource for resellers, aggregators, agents, brokers, VARs, systems integrators, interconnects and dealers that provide network-based communications and computing services and associated CPE, applications and professional services. PHONE+ includes a monthly print publication, a Web resource, a weekly newsletter as well as special issues, such as the Channel Program Guide and an annual buyer's guide. CTI Wins "Top Polycom Sales" Award at Catalyst Telecom Sales Conference Consolidated Technologies, Inc. was honored once again for its sales achievement, winning the award for "Top Polycom IP Voice Sales" at the Catalyst Telecom National Sales Conference held recently at the Marriott Grande Dunes in Myrtle Beach, S.C.  This award is reflective of the success of CTI’s ClearPath MVP program. The ClearPath MVP program is an all-in-one communication solution (Voice, Internet, Data) tailored to the dynamic needs of the small or medium sized business based upon hosted technology "Winning this award validates the market’s desire for a simple yet robust communications solution that can be provided as a monthly service, says CTI President Kenny Heitner, “hosted PBX has become a reality and our customers are eager to take advantage of the benefits of our ClearPath solution.  Polycom endpoints compliment this solution as their IP Phone sets provide the richest feature set for the hosted solution.  We are thrilled to be partnered with Polycom and leading in this industry. John Black, CEO, Catalyst Telecom  (left) and John Gaillard, VP, Sales & Business Development, Catalyst Telecom (right) present CTI President Kenneth Heitner (center) with the Top Polycom Sales Award. CTI launched its ClearPath solution approximately 15 months ago as an alternative to traditional phone systems. About Polycom Polycom is the worldwide leader in market share for voice and video conferencing. Polycom manufactures and markets a full range of high-quality, easy-to-use voice and video communication endpoints.  Polycom recently enhanced is market position with the introduction of its best of breed HD Voice over IP and Video over IP products. About Catalyst Catalyst Telecom is a leading distributor of converged voice and data technologies that exclusively serves communications solution resellers in North American. Catalyst is also the largest distributor of Avaya and Polycom products. More than 400 attendees representing convergence providers attended this year's conference. Consolidated Technologies, Inc. Enters Second Decade with a Record-Breaking Year of Sales and Revenue and a Clear Advantage Over Other Telecom Providers Consolidated Technologies, Inc. has a lot to celebrate as it launches itself into a second decade of service. The company not only celebrated its Tenth Anniversary in 2007, but also achieved a record-breaking year in sales and revenue. With offices in Port Chester, New York City, Princeton NJ and Darien CT, the award-winning converged technology company has grown significantly over the last several years. Primarily serving customers in the Northeast region of the United States, CTI has a footprint that expands across the country, providing enterprise solutions to major corporations from coast to coast. The company’s tenth anniversary year also brought about a major change when it came to the type of offerings CTI brought to their customers. Realizing that clients wanted more options when it came to planning their communications strategies, CTI launched their own proprietary hosted solution known as ClearPath MVP. “In the days of monopolized communications, people didn’t have many choices when it came to their phone systems,” explains CTI President Kenneth Heitner. “But now customers are much more technically-savvy, and demand more choices when it comes to crafting their communication solutions. We’re unique because we offer a diversified portfolio of technologies and services, allowing our customers to choose what technologies fit them best.”  Consolidated Technologies, Inc. has always been on the forefront of the converged technology movement. Founded in 1997, the company was built on the premise that the future of superior communications was moving in the direction of converged solutions like IP telephony. Over the past ten years, CTI has grown organically from 3 people to over 85 employees, with revenues in 1997 of $650,000 to approximately $23 million in 2007 (a steady growth rate ranging between 20 - 60% each year). As an Avaya Platinum Business Partner and winner of Avaya BusinessPartner of the Year, CTI will continue to offer Avaya products and services to their customers. ClearPath MVP is not meant to replace CTI’s other offerings, but rather enhance the company’s ability to respond to the wants and needs of their customers. “IP endpoints counted for almost 80% of our installations,” says CTI Chief Strategy Officer David Blau, who is also Chairman of the Avaya SMB BusinessPartner Council. “This is the first time we’ve seen such a significant increase, which signifies a real inflection point in terms of IP adoption. But no matter what type of solution a client chooses, CTI’s focus will continue to revolve around flawless implementation and continued servicing of our customer’s network needs.” In 2007, the company also received a considerable amount of outside recognition with a Forbes Enterprise Award, a Catalyst Telecom “Enterprise Growth Award,” and the company’s inclusion on the first –ever Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Companies in America. CTI also maintained its Avaya Platinum Status, recognition of service excellence the company is proud to achieve year after year.

Consolidated Technologies, Inc. Selected by Inc. Magazine for First-Ever List of 5,000 Fastest-Growing Companies in America  On August 23, 2007 Inc. Magazine released its first-ever Inc. 5,000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the country.  The Inc. 5,000, an extension of Inc. magazine’s annual Inc. 500 list, catches many businesses that are too big to grow at the pace required to make the Inc. 500, as well as a host of smaller firms. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy and Consolidated Technologies, Inc. is proud to be included among them.

“The Inc. 5,000 provides the most comprehensive look ever at the most important part of the economy – the entrepreneurial part,” said Inc. 5,000 Project Manager Jim Melloan.  “The expansion of the list has allowed us to tell the stories of larger companies, older companies, and  a wealth of companies in industries like Manufacturing and Construction that are underreported in the business media.” Consolidated Technologies, Inc., an award-winning converged technology company with offices in New York City, Port Chester NY, and Princeton NJ, credits its growth over the past several years on client referrals, innovative marketing and aggressive recruiting.  During the last decade, CTI has grown organically from 3 people to over 85 employees.  Revenues in 1997 were $650,000 and grew to approximately $20 million in 2006 with a steady growth rate ranging between 20% - 60% each year. It is this kind of impressive growth that landed the company on the Inc. List of 5,000 Fastest-Growing Companies. This is the fourth time Consolidated Technologies, Inc. has been honored with recognition in the past year, having received an “Avaya Enterprise Growth” Award at the Catalyst Telecom sales conference in May, a Forbes Enterprise Award in February, and being named Avaya BusinessPartner of the Year at Avaya's Global Sales and Partner conference in October, 2006. “The past year has been a special one for CTI” says CTI President Kenneth Heitner, “The four awards that we received are a true recognition of the consistent focus and effort that CTI puts on developing and providing innovative solutions for our customers.  I am confident that these awards are just the beginning of the recognition CTI will receive for our innovative programs as CTIs’ newest products and services are sure to provide growth to the organization.” The 2007 Inc. 5,000 reported median revenue of $9.4 million and median three-year growth of 140 percent.  Complete information on this year’s Inc. 5,000, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000. The list features a profile for each company, almost all of them written as a result of Inc. interviews with management. In addition, the list is searchable according to numerous criteria, including industry, city, state, region, and year founded.

CTI Partners David Blau,  Robert Shabin and Kenneth  Heitner with the plaque  commemorating CTI's inclusion in the Inc. 5000 (above), and the plaque (below).

Methodology The 2007 Inc. 5000 list measures revenue growth from 2003 through 2006.  To qualify, companies had to be U.S.-based and privately held, independent – not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies – as of December 31, 2006, and have had at least $200,000 in revenue in 2003, and $2 million in 2006.

CTI Wins "Avaya Enterprise Growth" Award at Catalyst Telecom Sales Conference Consolidated Technologies, Inc. was recently honored with an "Avaya Enterprise Growth Award" at the annual Catalyst Telecom sales conference held in Hilton Head, S.C. from May 17-19. This award reflects a one year growth of over $6 million additional dollars in Avaya solutions provided to customers by CTI in the large enterprise area alone.

"Winning this award for our sales growth in the Enterprise Communications category demonstrates the diverse abilities that CTI maintains," says Kenny Heitner, President of CTI.  "Whether a company's need is for small office/branch office or large corporate facility, customers are choosing CTI for their Avaya solutions. I credit our growth to CTI's ability to demonstrate the effectiveness that IP Telephony has on improving communications and processes. Particularly for companies whose communications needs require a seamless solution spanning either a national or even global footprint." Catalyst Telecom is a leading distributor of converged voice and data technologies that exclusively serves communications solution resellers in North American. Catalyst is also the largest distributor of Avaya products. More than 400 attendees representing convergence providers attended this year's conference, including Avaya BusinessPartners, Avaya, Equipment manufacturers, and other strategic partners. This is the third time CTI has been honored with an award in the past year, having received a Forbes Enterprise Award in February, and being named Avaya BusinessPartner of the Year at Avaya's Global Sales and Partner conference in October, 2006.

Kenny Heitner,  President of CTI,  with John Black, CEO of Catalyst  Telecom, holding  the Growth Award -  Avaya Enterprise Solutions

CTI's Chief Strategy Officer David Blau is Elected Chairman of Avaya SMB BusinessPartner Council On February 26 2007, CTI's Chief Strategy Officer David Blau was appointed Chairman of the Avaya SMB BusinessPartners Council. The Council represents the interests of all U.S. Avaya BusinessPartners, and is focused on the issues and needs of the SMB space. This is an added benefit for CTI customers who use Avaya products, as they now have a direct line of communication to the top decision-makers at the company. "I was honored to assume the role," said Blau, "Being a solution provider is really about forming a three way partnership between the customer, the solution provider, and the hardware/software manufacturer/developer.  Communication is vital to this partnership and the Avaya Council is a forum where Avaya can receive direct feedback and guidance from their dealer community regarding the needs, wants, and experiences of end users."

David Blau  Chief Strategy Officer, CTI

"We have a lot of plans for the Council this year," Mr. Blau declared. "First of all, we need to solicit the input of the hundreds of Avaya dealers who are not on the council to get their ideas and suggestions heard.  Then there are the challenges of creating the best possible roadmap for the product set we sell.  The latest technology has given us so many possibilities.  We need to narrow the focus and be bulletproof in what we bring to market." The appointment of David Blau as SMB Council Chairman comes on the heels of two other Avaya SMB accomplishments: Becoming one of the first Avaya BusinessPartners to be designated an Avaya SMB Expert last February, and then being chosen as Avaya SMB BusinessPartner of the Year in October 2006. These distinctions are indicative of CTI's ongoing commitment to providing best in class service and support to companies in the SMB space. Avaya relies on the Council to provide input on strategic direction and key channel programs. Members of the SMB BusinessPartner Council are part of an open dialogue with Avaya leadership and fellow Avaya BusinessPartners.  They help steer the programs, promotional offers, and products that Avaya SMB delivers. They also provide direct and candid input to help Avaya build, design, and deliver products and services that mean the most to the SMB business.

CTI Wins Forbes Enterprise Award for Visionary Practices         and Achievements

On February 5, 2007 Consolidated Technologies, Inc. was presented with a prestigious Forbes Enterprise Award during a posh ceremony at New York's Lincoln Center. CTI Partners David Blau, Ben Schoolsky and Robert Shabin were on hand to receive the award, along with CTI VP of Converged Technology, Neil Brenner. The afternoon ceremony was held at Jazz, a popular venue in the Lincoln Center complex.   The Forbes Enterprise Awards, sponsored by Verizon, recognize outstanding businesses that demonstrate visionary practices and achievements. The award is based on various criteria, including: product or service innovation, customer relations, community involvement, employee development and support, and marketing or other efforts that lead to a business's growth. "I am extremely proud that CTI took home the Forbes Enterprise award in the Business Technology Services category," says CTI Chief Strategy Officer David Blau. "We challenge ourselves on a daily basis to show value to our customers and to differentiate ourselves from our competition. This award shows us we¿re on the right track." The judging committee, consisting of various business experts, was chaired by Judith H. Dobrzynski who has vast experience as a reporter and senior editor at the New York Times and Business Week, Managing Editor at CNBC, and as an adjunct professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Ms Dobrzynski assembled a highly qualified panel of objective judges who chose CTI out of thousands of entries. This is the second award CTI has received over the past several months, having also won Avaya BusinessPartner of the Year at Avaya¿s Global Sales and Partner conference in October, 2006.

CTI Partners David Blau, Robert Shabin and Ben Schoolsky, and CTI VP of Converged Technologies Neil Brenner, with the The Forbes Enterprise Award.

CTI is Awarded Avaya SMBS BusinessPartner of the Year

On October 9th, at Avaya's Global Sales and Partner Conference in New Orleans, CTI was awarded Avaya's SMBS BusinessPartner of the Year. This recognition is a tremendous achievement, as CTI was one of only five companies honored at the conference, among more than 1,300 BusinessPartners who represent Avaya products and services in North America.  To be considered for the BusinessPartner of the Year award, companies must achieve a 90 percent customer satisfaction rating, demonstrate industry leadership and outperform key strategic goals. 

The award was presented to David Blau, Robert Shabin and Kenneth Heitner in front of almost two thousand conference attendees comprised of other BusinessPartners and Avaya Associates.

"I am extremely proud of the accomplishments of our organization," says CTI President Kenneth Heitner. "This award is a true reflection of the success of CTI's strategy to encourage and invest in the professional development of our people. Our combined efforts and expertise are what have led us to achieve this outstanding honor."

Earlier this year, CTI also became one of the first Avaya BusinessPartners to receive the SMB Expert Status, a recognition that honors CTI's continued high level of customer satisfaction as well as the certification and technical expertise of the field engineers who install the systems.

David Blau, Robert Shabin, Kenneth Heitner accept the award from Ken Archer, Avaya Vice President of North American Channels (Left), and a photo of the award (right).

           
CTI Becomes One of the First Business Partners
to Achieve Avaya's SMB Expert Status

In February 2006, Consolidated Technologies, Inc. was recognized by Avaya as one of its first Business Partners to achieve the SMB Expert status. This achievement is a significant differentiator for CTI in serving the Small and Medium Business market segment. Being granted SMB Expert status speaks to CTI's continued high level of customer satisfaction as well as the certification and technical expertise of the field engineers who install the systems. This recognition honors an achievement of sales and technical expertise that very few Business Partners across the country will likely achieve any time soon, and CTI is very happy to be one of the first.

Avaya's criteria for selecting who receives SMB Expert status is based on four core elements: professional certification (both for the Account Executives and the System Engineers who implement the solutions), customer support (service assessment and customer satisfaction), Business Engagement/Product Revenue, and Marketing Support.

"We're very pleased with this achievement," says CTI Chief Strategy Officer David Blau. "Serving the small and medium sized business is at the core of our business plan.  Avaya's IP Office delivers big business features at small business budgets.  The SMB Expert designation is recognition of CTI's commitment to this product and this market."

To find out how CTI can help your Small- or Medium-sized business, please visit our Vertical Solutions page. Or give us a call at 1-888-477-4CTI today!