ESI to Open Springdale Office
by June 30, 1997 12:00 am 184 views
ESI Group, a technology systems integration company based in Little Rock, plans to open an office in Springdale by mid-July.
Kristi Alexander, a spokesperson for ESI, says the office at 4700 S. Thompson St. will initially be staffed by five people. More employees will be hired later, she says.
Alexander says the company does custom computer programming and “applies technology to solve business problems.” ESI will be able to help large companies in Northwest Arkansas improve efficiency by finding better ways to use technology, she says.
“In that region, there’s a dire need for people who specialize in technology integration,” says Alexander. “There are all sorts of opportunities for us there. It’s difficult to find technological professionals on a regular basis.”
ESI, which was founded in 1988 by Rod Ford, now has 130 employees, says Alexander. In addition to Little Rock and the new office in Springdale, ESI also has an office in Tulsa.
ESI has forecasted revenue sales of $20 million for 1997, says Alexander. The company brought in $6 million last year.
Late last year, ESI became a partner with The Heartland Fund, a $52 million equity partnership created by Llama Co.’s Alice Walton. Heartland agreed to invest $2.5 million in ESI, becoming a minority partner and helping ESI with needed capital for acquisition and growth.