By Christopher M. Allegretti
CEO, HBK
CANFIELD, Ohio – While the pandemic continued to provide its unique set of challenges, HBK made several substantial moves in 2021 to move the company forward both in terms of reach and internal capabilities and commitments.
On Sept. 1, 2021, we announced our merger with Vertical Solutions, a Pittsburgh-based managed service provider (MSP). The new HBK entity, Vertilocity, operates out of Pittsburgh; Clark, N. J.; and in the Denver area.
Digital technology is the most impactful disrupter in business today. Everywhere and in every industry, companies are embracing digital transformation.
Vertilocity, which combines HBK’s existing IT group with the Vertical Solutions team, is steeped in experience in organizational workflows, systems and software. It supports our initiative to provide relevant, sophisticated technological support to our clients.
This merger not only extended HBK’s reach in the West, but gives Vertilocity a significant IT serv-ices presence in three major markets: Pittsburgh, Denver and the New York metropolitan region. It also allows us to deliver comprehensive IT and MSP services, including cybersecurity support, to our clients throughout Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Florida.
Since the turn of the 21st century, we have been investing in our digital transformation. We are committed to enhancing our technological capabilities as well as technology-based services to our clients.
Internally, technological capabilities are key to being able to pivot quickly and effectively when it comes to unexpected challenges, as HBK did in 2020 in response to the unprecedented challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2021, we saw our firm-wide digital transformation efforts continue to accelerate.
As our customer relationship management (CRM) technology becomes a foundation of our operations, we are functioning in an environment of greater understanding of key metrics, insights, and team members’ activities – the dashboard of our practice management.
Diversity, equity and inclusion are critical to the long-term futures of businesses. We understand that addressing the related challenges is key to our sustainability. In March 2021, we established our diversity, equity and inclusion program, which we call “Evolve.” This program recognizes:
• Clients and potential clients are becoming more diverse and want to work with firms that promote greater diversity.
• Clients and potential clients are increasingly asking us to explain our efforts in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Greater interaction between team members with diverse backgrounds increases creative thinking, which allows us to develop creative solutions for, and provide better service to, our clients.
“Evolve” is rooted in our understanding that our core strength is our values: treating everyone with dignity and respect; acting with integrity, honesty, and transparency; and working together to provide the best value for our clients.
To continue to live up to our values, we will evolve to promote greater diversity, a more inclusive culture, and equity of opportunity.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion will drive our transformation, foster new ideas, widen our reach, and thereby contribute to our economic growth.
Tackling an issue like this in the workplace, making real and substantive change, doesn’t happen overnight. And as its name suggests, our initiative will be a process that will unfold over the months and years ahead.
The face of American society is changing, evolving, and we recognize that our firm must also grow and change to remain relevant in today’s and tomorrow’s world.