PCS News - October 17, 1998

SHELTON, CT October 17,1998 Precision Computer Services, Inc. (PCS) celebrates its 9th year in business by ranking # 374 on the Inc. Magazine list of the 500 fastest growing private companies in America.
 
By making the Inc. Magazine List, PCS shares this award with companies such as Microsoft, Timberland, Dominos Pizza and Patagonia, as companies who have been nationally recognized as leading growth companies contributing to the United States economy. PCS Annual sales growth from 1993 to 1997 was 796% and projected sales are expected to be well over 50 million.

PCS has come a long way in a short time since Michael FitzSimons and his wife Irene founded the company in 1989. Starting in a garage with only $4000 and a dream they established PCS with the intention of selling computers and consulting services with hard work and honest values. From that humble beginning they have built PCS into one of the fastest growing private companies in America. The PCS customer list reads like a "Who's Who" of Fortune 1000 companies; it also includes many cities, counties, states, as well as the Federal Government. 
PCS has been successful in differentiating itself from other systems integrators through unparalleled support, dedication and the establishment of long term customer relationships. "Our philosophy is to do what ever it takes to satisfy our customers, and going beyond the call of duty is part of doing business." Explained Mike FitzSimons, President and CEO of Precision Computer Services. 
This dedication to service began many years ago when Michael FitzSimons received a frantic phone call at his home from a local Fortune 1000 customer at 2:00 AM in the morning. Apparently one of the organizations production servers had failed. In desperate need to repair the downed server, the customer asked Michael FitzSimons if PCS had any replacement parts that he could borrow. While most resellers would have been sleeping, FitzSimons and PCS responded by configuring and installing a new server at the customers site, just five hours later, by 7:00 am the next morning. For an added touch, PCS even supplied the donuts. 
"A response to a customers emergency is the true measure of a companies service and value, just as a star pitcher wants the ball in a big game, we want the ball when a customer needs help." FitzSimons exclaimed. PCS wound up with the ball in a big game last year when another of it's Fortune 1000 customers contracted PCS to supply all of the hardware necessary to roll out file servers throughout the United States. Unfortunately one of the file servers supplied by PCS was severely damaged in transit from Connecticut to Chicago by the customers shipping company. When the server arrived in Chicago it was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The customer notified PCS at 11:00 am on a Friday morning. In response to this situation, recognizing that a courier service would not be able to ship a replacement server from the customers primary office in time to meet the roll out schedule, PCS immediately deployed one of their systems engineers to pick up a replacement file server. Armed with a new file server in hand the systems engineer boarded a 1:00 p.m. flight to Chicago. The server and the engineer arrived in Chicago in time to make the roll out a complete success. 
Art Matos Chief Operating Officer elaborated, " The difference between PCS and our competitors is that we do what ever it takes to get the job done. We rather turn away business if we can't do it right. This is an honest approach and it works for PCS as an organization and for our customers. We develop relationships and partnerships with our customers that are mutually beneficial". 
In the category of building relationships, PCS has built a strong relationship with the city of Shelton. Declining several attractive offers from many neighboring towns; PCS has decided to build their new International Corporate Headquarters in their hometown of Shelton, CT. The 20,000 square foot building will be located near Constitution Boulevard in Shelton. In the category of building human relationships and partnerships, PCS just recently sponsored a golf outing for "The Make a Wish Foundation". Over the years PCS has donated thousands of dollars and computers to the charity for seriously ill children. 
Even with the recent success of PCS, some things about PCS have not changed. They still maintain a very unusual work environment and an uncommon corporate structure. When you walk through the entrance of their corporate headquarters you may run into PCS's first employee Pete. Don't be surprised that Pete is a dog. Mike finds that Pete is a calming influence in his hectic world. Besides Pete the dog you may want to visit the oversized gold fish tank or you may venture into one of the salesman's offices to play pinball or experience the mood office. On the wall directly outside of Mike FitzSimon's office there are two letters that normally would not be on a CEO's wall, one letter is from a prominent bank, and the other letter is from the State of Connecticut. Both the Bank and the State turned down PCS when they applied for a mortgage to fund their first corporate facility located on Todd Road in Shelton. FitzSimons claims that the letters are a source of motivation, they remind him never to say no! This abnormal working environment combined with a non-stop sense of urgency is what makes PCS thrive. 
In regards to the uncommon corporate structure, PCS maintains a corporate structure that allows individual salespeople to act as entrepreneurs. Mike DePasquale Director of International Sales explains: " At PCS we provide our salespeople with the necessary latitude to act as individual entrepreneurs. This entrepreneurial spirit fosters the freedom necessary to maintain individual relationship with the customer. We empower our salespeople to make there own decisions in regards to the customers that they serve, in this manner PCS can better serve the customer". To confirm Mike DePasquale's statement, Mike FitzSimons added a quote from General George S. Patton: " If everyone is thinking alike than no one is thinking". 
This entrepreneurial spirit has allowed PCS to rapidly expand it's business, they currently maintain offices in Arizona, Connecticut, New Jersey, San Francisco and the United Kingdom, and they are planning to rapidly add more offices both nationally and internationally. Mr. FitzSimons declined to disclose the location of the planned new offices, but He commented: 
"To compete in the 90's, a resellers can no longer just maintain a local presence, a reseller needs both a national and international presence to compete with the large franchises. At PCS we are on a mission to compete and defeat the larger franchises by removing the franchise mentality in computer reselling with service, service, and more service. 
Art Matos Jr. Chief Operating Officer and long time good friend summed up PCS accomplishments when asked how PCS made Inc Magazines 500 list. "PCS made Inc. Magazine's list by following good business practices, committing to our customers, and challenging it's employees to grow and exceed expectations. Michael FitzSimons attitude is " don't tell me it can't be done, let's talk about how we can do it." His imagination, flexibility and perseverance are what made PCS grow at the rate it has. Michael FitzSimons credits his employees and their efforts with the success of the PCS organization and believes they are the company's greatest assets." 
PCS is a privately held company that holds many authorizations and certifications with COMPAQ, Hewlett Packard, IBM, Microsoft, Novell, Bay Networks, Cisco and Citrix. PCS provides hardware and software, and consulting services for U.S. and International Fortune 1000 Companies. PCS has offices in Connecticut, Arizona, New Jersey, San Francisco, and the United Kindom. 

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