YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Justin White was just 24 years old when he decided to take a leap and start his own company.
The co-owner and CEO of Advanced Technology Partners reflects on how the company launched in October 2018 after spinning off an internal IT department from a group of local manufacturing companies. With only four employees and a single core client, White says the early days were defined by one challenge: credibility.
“People would ask, ‘How do I know you’re going to be here in a year?’” White recalls, describing the difficulty of convincing businesses to trust a young startup with their technology.
That changed about eight months in, when Advanced Technology Partners acquired Directed Technologies, a company with a long history and established client base in the region. The move helped legitimize the young firm and accelerate its growth.
Today, Advanced Technology Partners supports about 115 clients on managed service contracts and employs 18 people, providing full-service outsourced IT support, maintenance, security and project work to businesses across the region.
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White also shares how his early interest in technology – from building his first computer as a teenager to working through multiple IT roles – shaped both his career and the company’s mission.
