Interview with Kevin Cook, CEO of The Purple Guys

Kevin Cook is CEO of The Purple Guys, a Managed Services Provider with locations throughout the Midwest and South. Kevin joined the firm in 1997 under the original company name, ECS, and has been instrumental in the organization’s growth since that day. He leads the company’s expansion effort through targeted acquisitions and is responsible for the strategic direction as well as the operational and financial success of The Purple Guys. Today, The Purple Guys ranks among the top 3% of technology service providers across the globe by gross revenue.

Before joining The Purple Guys, Kevin spent five years in public accounting with Heard, McElroy and Vestal, CPAs where he developed and managed an IT division for the firm. A Certified Public Accountant, Kevin received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting with a minor in Economics from Centenary College of Louisiana. He serves on the board of advisors for multiple organizations including the North Louisiana Economic Partnership and the Southern Amateur Hockey Affiliate of USA Hockey and he is the current President of the Shreveport-Bossier Executives Association.

Interview questions:

Introduction | Please provide an introduction to The Purple Guys – services, offices (footprint – Central and Southern), employees…

Accelerate | Accelerate is an Indianapolis, Indiana IT managed service provider. Tell us about this recent acquisition and its impact on The Purple Guy’s growth?

History | In 1994, Enterprise Computing Services was founded by Jim Malsch; in 1997, ECS merged with an accounting firm; in 2010, ArkLaComp merged; in 2012, Trusted Data Solutions merged; in 2020, My IT merged; in 2021, The Purple Guys…. Can you provide a history of the acquisitions prior to The Purple Guys acquisition?

https://www.purpleguys.com/about-us/

Growth | What has been the growth strategy for The Purple Guys?

Kian Capital Partners | Kian Capital Partners became investors in January 2020. Tell us about their contribution?

Bio | You started your career in 1992 as an accountant. In 1997, you became President of Enterprise Computing Services. In January 2020, you became CEO of The Purple Guys. Please share some highlights of your career.

Team | Who are the key members of the management team?

Dallas/Austin | How will The Purple Guys’ continued growth impact the Austin and Dallas communities? Technology Pointe acquisition

IT Management |Increasing complexity and security concerns have made IT management a core strategic priority for SMB decision-makers. Talk about how The Purple Guys is addressing those needs.

Consolidation | The MSP industry has been rapidly consolidating for the past several years. Talk about this trend and its benefits for business owners and their customers.

Growth | Where are potential acquisitions being targeted?

Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn

The Purple Guys is a leading provider of comprehensive managed IT services to small and mid-sized businesses. We focus on our clients’ IT so they don’t have to. As trusted members of our clients’ teams, we work hard on their behalf to help their businesses grow and succeed by ensuring secure, reliable and cost-effective IT systems. The Purple Guys has offices in Shreveport and New Orleans, Louisiana; Kansas City, Kansas; St. Louis, Missouri; Austin and Dallas, Texas; and now Indianapolis, Indiana, employing more than 200 highly trained team members serving businesses throughout the Central and Southern U.S. For more information, visit purpleguys.com.