December 23, 2023, marks the 15th anniversary for Cenetric as a company — and like many other 15-year-olds, we’re gearing up for more growth ahead.

Cenetric was born in 2008 when a friend showed up at founder Brittany Fugate’s house for their weekly Rock Band gathering. (It was no average get-together — smoke machines were involved!) The friend shared that he had been laid off from Sprint, where most of the group worked together.

“I immediately thought, ‘What can I do? How can I help?’” said Fugate. “I was watching these good friends of mine who were just struggling to even feed their kids, and it was heartbreaking.”

Starting things up

She decided what she could do was start up an IT company to give her friends a place to work and use their expertise. She brought an idea to the group: What if they brought big-organization IT management to smaller businesses? Fugate didn’t mess around — within a week, she had incorporated the business, drawn up a business plan, and decided on a company name and logo.

After learning more about being a managed service provider, Fugate and her team of three were ready for clients. Armed with printed, bound sales materials and small bags of Harry & David malted milk balls, they started pounding the pavement.

Working with a list of target prospects, they talked to CEOs and IT leaders about the services they offered — ending up with several clients to serve.

Focusing on how to support others

While the initial focus was on for-profit companies, a visit to one non-profit prospect (and now-client) Cancer Action, made an enormous impact on Fugate.

“It was truly a pivotal moment in my life,” said Fugate. “They showed me their building and how they served cancer patients in all sorts of ways, and it brought a really human element to how we can help.”

She realized that by helping keep Cancer Action’s servers up, Cenetric can help ensure the organization can keep fundraising and continue giving area cancer patients the help they need.

“I realized that our job had meaning beyond just fixing computers,” Fugate said.

Today, we’re so committed to our mission to support non-profits that each year we select one in the area to receive a free year of IT support, including help desk, remote support, maintenance, management, and server monitoring. (This year’s nomination period has closed, but if you’re a Kansas City non-profit, sign up for an alert about next year’s nominations!)

 

Working with Kansas City companies

Today, Cenetric serves for-profit and non-profit companies alike in Kansas City and beyond. But working with companies in our hometown is important to us — especially as other local managed service providers have been purchased by larger companies outside the area.

“We were started in Kansas City and we want to help Kansas City,” said Fugate. “Doing business with us means that we’re going to give back to the community in the form of jobs and how we support area charities.”

Some clients come to Cenetric after not getting the responsive service they’re looking for with other providers. Cenetric ensures you’re always getting the fast help you need from a personalized account team.

“With our account teams, you’re working with the same group of people every day,” Fugate said. “When you call, you speak with someone who knows you and your business. They can identify repeat problems, fix things quickly, and make better recommendations for how to avoid future issues.”

Staying focused on serving Kansas City is important to us. Cenetric is committed to working with Kansas City companies and is an involved member of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and other local chambers of commerce, including Olathe, Overland Park, and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Greater Kansas City. Fugate is also part of the Helzberg Entrepreneurial Mentoring Program, connecting Cenetric with other entrepreneurial companies in the Kansas City area.

 Looking for IT support from a provider based right here in Kansas City? Cenetric has the experience and availability you need to keep running smoothly 24/7. Tell us about your organization and we’ll be in touch to get started right away.