Our Story
An IT company inspired by a 19th-Century naturalist, transcendentalist, and poet? Almost. Let’s say Thoreau should be counted among the first “advisors” to Vision Technology Services.
Amid the economic turmoil of 2000 and 2001, Scott Cerasoli wrestled with the idea of leaving his job to start a new company. He finally broke the hold, only after finding a note with a Thoreau quote, tucked into his Day-Timer (remember Day-Timers?), from Natalie, his wife and mother of their then one-month-old and two-year-old. Thoreau’s admonition: “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” (We trust that Natalie may have been the more powerful inspiration.)
After years in the industry, Cerasoli lifted the lid from a long-simmering business plan, itself inspired by the conviction that there was ample room in the IT consulting market for a better level of service to both client and consultant.
With the plan set in motion, he invited five-year co-worker and colleague Rob Troska to join him as partner. Their complimentary skills and strengths, coupled with a mutual conviction that performance brings rewards, were compelling for both. A few weeks later, Troska also left a secure job to share in the Vision.
Even though the market at the time surrendered little reward for anyone in IT, Troska and Cerasoli began to convert more than a decade’s knowhow, relationships, and reputation into new engagements. The key was persistence… and a passionate commitment to service. After 15 months, the business was 100 percent self-funded.
As the economy eased, Cerasoli and Troska continued to build. By year three, there were 90 Vision employees and consultants. A-class companies had begun to discover a reliable source of talent and value.
The growth curve continued its steep upward slope, and the industry and local business media began to take note. Vision affirmed its place among the fastest growing IT consulting firms in the market. Word-of-mouth fed an ever-strengthening pipeline of first-rate consultants, with nearly half of new hires coming at the recommendation of current or former members of the Vision team.
About three years in, one former Cerasoli client wrote to say, “I asked to have lunch because I see what you have going and I just want to be part of it … Tell me what you want me to do …” That individual remains an employee today.
And today, Vision Technology Services continues to build its business on the strength of long-valued relationships and its reputation. Both depend heavily on a culture of performance and execution, sustained by members of the Vision team.
Plans for the future include more significant expansion throughout the mid-Atlantic and in other selected markets around the country where clients have needs. And despite Vision’s growth, its founding principle remains unchanged: exceed the expectations of the people and organizations with whom we partner for our success. It might not be transcendental, or even poetry, but it surely can sustain our Vision.
