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VICTORIA, April 4, 2016 /CNW/ – One of B.C.’s leading information technology companies, Victoria-based Charter, has acquired Boardwalk Communications, also of Victoria, in a move that will create a national network technology leader offering a full spectrum of products and services to customers across Canada.
On its own, Charter has grown over the last 19 years into one of Canada’s foremost information technology (IT) network providers to clients operating some of the most critical networks in the country. Cited as one of B.C.’s fastest growing companies by Business in Vancouver, Charter is an elite value-added reseller of Juniper and Avaya network products; by acquiring Boardwalk, it will add Cisco products to its array.
Founded in 2002, Boardwalk has consistently been one of the top Cisco network integrators in Western Canada, in terms of growth, with large healthcare and Fortune 100 customers as clients. With offices in Victoria, Vancouver and Regina, the company has continued to expand its reach and capture market share.
In addition to continuing to manage the operations of Boardwalk Communications, co-founders Andries Loubser and Philip Stone will also be joining the Charter management team.
Said Boardwalk President Philip Stone: “An opportunity to continue and potentially accelerate our growth with a company like Charter that is so similar to ours in many ways was something we could not pass up. We are mutually respectful of the value that each company delivers and I believe that this will create a synergy and strength that is unparalleled in the Canadian market.”
Charter president Kelly Michell called it “a coming together of highly-recognized, industry-respected, like-minded organizations with well-aligned values and operating principles.”
“With very little overlap in the marketplace,” he said, “the companies’ combined strength and focus means we can offer the best in technology solutions with the highest degree of engineering expertise and customer service.”
Charter will continue to be headquartered in Victoria. Charter also has an office in Vancouver as well as branches in Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto. With the acquisition of Boardwalk, the new company will have a combined workforce of over 80 staff, and will look for continued growth across Canada.
While announcing the acquisition of Boardwalk, Charter also announced the appointment of Steven Kinsey as Executive Vice President of Strategy and Planning. Mr. Kinsey is a 16-year veteran IT network industry leader, and most recently served as the Vice President of Sales and Operations for Western Canada at Cisco Systems Canada.
Said Charter’s Kelly Michell: “Steve’s track record in driving growth into new market sectors as well as major transformational projects for existing clients makes him an excellent addition to the Charter team.”
In addition to his executive roles, Mr. Kinsey has been active in helping industry recognize the innovative role of technology in advancing their goals and objectives. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research where he is a member of the Finance and Audit Committee. He is also on the Board for the BCNET Advanced Research network, and is the Co-Chairman of the BCNET Applications Committee.
About Charter:
Charter is in the business of helping Service Provider and Enterprise clients build, maintain and operate secure, high performance communications networks and data center infrastructures. Founded in 1997, Charter’s success has been underpinned by adding tangible value to their Clients Solutions and Networks. Charter’s clientele can be defined as the Fortune 200 of Canadian business and ranges from medium to large size regional organizations to national and international corporations and provincial governments.
Charter is headquartered in Victoria and has branch offices in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Toronto. While physically located in Canada, Charter operates on behalf of their clients throughout Canada, the United States and the rest of the world. Charter has successfully completed projects north of 60, Australia, U.S., Isle of Man, Singapore, Great Britain and Yemen. www.charter.ca
About Boardwalk Communications:
Founded in 2002, Boardwalk Communications is a leading services and solutions provider that works with customers to design, build, support and manage best practice IT infrastructures. Boardwalk’s customer base is comprised of many well-known enterprise organizations based in Western Canada.
Recognized by Cisco as one of their top growth partners in Canada, Boardwalk’s focus on Cisco as a manufacturer partner offers their customers a very unique product and services experience. With offices in Victoria, Vancouver and Regina, Boardwalk is well-suited to serve enterprise customers across Western Canada.
Image with caption: “Charter (CNW Group/Charter)”. Image available at: PR News Wire
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