Company grows while helping businesses with tech | News
Compared to 10 to 20 years ago, businesses are using technology more and more, but it really took a turn around three years ago during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jarod Dendinger, business development manager at Applied Connective Technologies, said several people didn’t have such technology — especially secure ones — that allowed staff to work from home. The tech company aided small businesses because — as a Microsoft partner — Applied Connective would relicense the product and set up Teams or Office 365 as an avenue to work from home.
“We played a small part in helping people get through the pandemic,” Dendinger said.
This is one of many examples of how the tech business has helped other companies in the state. After humble beginnings, Applied Connective Technologies works with not only Nebraska and regional businesses, but also county governments throughout the state.
With its headquarters in Albion, Applied Connective Technologies is a business-based tech company with two additional locations in Columbus and Norfolk. Although it began in 2004, Applied Connective hired its first employee in 2008 before expanding to now having around 45 workers today.
The business has been in Norfolk for about the past 10 years while it’s been in Columbus since 2015.
Applied Connective previously worked with the greater Nebraska area — starting from the outside of Lincoln and Omaha to Valentine and Kearney. Over the past few years, the company expanded more, now working with businesses nationally, said operations manager Will Zoucha.
He added the business started offering structure cabling, which includes network, wiring, access points, cameras and access control for doors and key fobs. Essentially, if “it’s technology-related, we’ve done it, will do it or (are) currently doing it,” he said.
“We like to consider ourselves a fully comprehensive managed IT provider,” Dendinger added. “… Anything small or big, we can do it all. We have incredibly talented people … regardless of industry in Northeast Nebraska. It’s been a crazy ride these last 2½ years.”
“From my point of view, I think one thing that’s made us successful is that we’re dealing with very technical things with a user base in this area with a knowledge that’s very, very limited,” he said.
Dendinger also praised the company’s culture and the staff’s work ethic and technical ability.
“When most people think they need high-level IT support, they’re going to go to Omaha or Lincoln,” he said. “We’ve got all the people from a technical standpoint that we think we can compete with anybody in Lincoln or Omaha.”
Applied Connective Technologies also is looking at the future, determining how to provide better service down the road, Dendinger said.
“I always tell people, ‘Technology can change your business. It can be a game-changer on how you work,’ ” he said.
