Executive Summary
A 75-year-old employee-owned Midwestern tool manufacturer had grown from a single-product operation into one of the nation's leading tool brands serving HVAC, roofing, siding, and construction trade professionals across the U.S. and globally.
We partnered with their internal IT team to help them add cyber resilience and innovate — without disrupting operations.
The Challenge
Like many manufacturers of its size and tenure, this company had accumulated layers of technology over the years — network infrastructure, servers, audiovisual systems, and phone systems that had each been addressed at different times, by different vendors, with varying levels of integration.
Here's what they were left with:
Complex Infrastructure
The IT environment had grown complex, and the internal team was stretched managing day-to-day operations without the bandwidth to think strategically about security or modernization.
Cybersecurity Gaps
As a manufacturer distributing products globally and operating networked production systems, the company faced real exposure — but lacked the advanced security tooling and continuous monitoring needed to stay ahead of evolving threats.
Limited Modernization Capabilities
They knew they needed to take a more strategic approach to their IT infrastructure, but couln't find a way to modernize without disrupting the operations their employee-owners depended on.
They also wanted to get more out of their Microsoft investment. Tools like Autopilot and Single Sign-On (SSO) were on the roadmap, but implementing them correctly required expertise the internal team didn't have time to develop.
The Solution
The company was already familiar with some of what we provided, and had been using us for some print and some IT needs. Our existing relationship made it possible to move quickly and confidently towards a fully managed IT solution.
Our fully managed IT services provided:
Comprehensive IT Support
Managed IT provided the unlimited support, advanced security tooling, and continuous monitoring that this manufacturer needed. It also provided their internal IT team with much-needed support so they could provide more ROI.
World-Class Incident Response
More specifically, Marco deployed Arctic Wolf for 24/7 security operations and Microsoft Defender for endpoint protection — two tools that work together to provide continuous threat detection, response, and monitoring across the environment.
Advanced Microsoft Mentorship
Marco's Microsoft consulting team also stepped in to help the company get more out of its Microsoft investment, rolling out Autopilot for streamlined device deployment, Single Sign-On for simplified and more secure user access, and additional Microsoft security and productivity features aligned with the company's goals.
The Results
With Marco’s managed IT in place, the company gained:
- Enterprise-grade cybersecurity through Arctic Wolf and Microsoft Defender
- A dramatically simplified user experience through SSO and Autopilot
- Reduced friction for employees and IT staff
- A strategic technology partner with a full view of their environment
- Predictable, per-user pricing that made IT costs manageable and budgeting straightforward
- Peace of mind from knowing their systems are monitored around the clock — and that when something needs attention, a dedicated team is already on it
Takeaways
For an employee-owned company where every dollar matters, the value of having a partner invested in preventing problems — rather than profiting from fixing them — can make all the difference.
Manufacturers also have unique IT needs and operational requirements, and it's important to find a provider that understands how to make significant progress without creating disruptions.
That's why we created a dedicated manufacturing team to serve these clients better, from day one.
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