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Partner Spotlight: HTS and Northwest Heartland Technology Solutions
Arlin Sorensen, founder and CEO of Heartland Technology Solutions, started his practice from the ground up—literally. “I was a farmer and got the computer bug, and I was doing my own accounting on Apple Plus computers in 1982. So I just started helping area farmers buy computers and set up their accounting systems,” Sorensen said. “I finally decided if I was going to spend my time doing it, I might as well get paid for it.” And that was what led to Heartland Technology Solutions (HTS), founded in 1985 on Sorensen’s farm in Harlan, Iowa, where its headquarters still reside today. The company boasts a staff of 80 employees in five Midwestern states. HTS reported a 2006 revenue of more than $11.5 million, which represents a growth of almost 82 percent over the two years covered by the Fast Growth survey. Read More. Northwest Computer Support
After about 25 years of ups and downs, break/fix and warranty repair shop Northwest Computer Support reached a nadir in 2001 when it lost 40 percent of sales and was budgeting for revenue of only $1.8 million that year. When CEO James Watson (l.) and COO Leslie Watson bought the company in 2005, they replaced an owner who had focused too narrowly on cost containment. They have invested in the company’s expansion, which helped it continue to grow by 90 percent in the 2004 to 2006 period alone. It’s now a $9 billion-plus business expanding into new practice areas. Read More. 
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