Private equity firms continue to invest in managed services providers. The latest example: Abry Partners has helped NexusTek of Denver to recapitalize its business in a bid to become "the best Managed Services Provider in the West."
Abry Partners is a familiar private equity name in the MSP sector. Indeed, the PE firm acquired Breakthrough Technology Group (BTG) earlier this month, and Abry also owns a stake in Rackspace.
For Abry, each of those private equity deals involves a slightly different MSP or cloud services business model. For instance:
- BTG is a private cloud services provider that offers AppsAnyplace, a fully managed hosted virtual desktop and application delivery solution. The company also has key relationships with Microsoft and Citrix Systems.
- Abry's stake in Rackspace emerged when Rackspace acquired Datapipe for a multi-cloud managed services push. Rackspace's core focus these days involves managed services for Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform.
- NexusTek sounds more like a traditional MSP for SMB customers -- though the company has Microsoft Dynamics 365 know-how, too.
Abry Partners and NexusTek: The Strategy
Indeed, NexusTek provides regional IT support and outsourcing including help desk, cloud services, VoIP, cyber security services, server monitoring and Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM services.
Mike JennerDescribing the relationship with Abry Partners, NexusTek CEO Mike Jenner said:
“Our decision to partner with Abry will ensure we can continue to invest in providing the best solutions and service to our customers. We are available 24/7/365 to ensure our customers are able to take advantage of the Cloud, increasing complex Cyber Security and an expanding mobile work force.”
Added Brian St. Jean, a partner at Abry:
“Abry believes that the demands of the SMB market will increase as businesses struggle to move to the cloud, protect themselves in an increasing complex cyber security environment and enhance their competitiveness using technology. We are excited to be able to help NexusTek accelerate their efforts to become one of the premier Managed Service Providers in the country.”
NexusTek Market Focus, Reach
NexusTek's customer base expands across Colorado and Arizona, among other areas. The company supports more than 1,000 customers and has been growing 25 percent annually, though ChannelE2E doesn't know actual revenue or profit figures. While many small MSPs outsource their NOCs, NexusTek has achieved critical mass on its own and operates two network operations centers (NOCs) 24 hours a day.
Private equity firms, meanwhile, have been scouring the market for growing MSPs that have healthy EBITDA profit margins, according to Service Leadership Inc. CEO Paul Dippell. However, the hunt for those MSPs can be challenging since many service providers haven't effectively scaled their top-line revenues or bottom-line EBITDA high enough to warrant PE dollars.
