Bentonville IT firm marks 25th anniversary

Kitestring Technical Services, a family-owned technology services firm in Bentonville, is celebrating its 25th anniversary in November.

Larry Smith founded the business on Nov. 4, 1998, as L.J. Smith & Associates. He laid the groundwork for the company’s success with his work designing a groundbreaking point-of-sale (POS) system. That led to partnerships with Walmart, IBM and NCR Corp., the world’s largest cash register provider, and set the stage for the company’s future expansion.

Smith retired in 2011 when the business had fewer than 20 employees. Upon his departure, his son, Jared Smith, who joined the family business in 2009, assumed the role of CEO.

L.J. Smith & Associates rebranded in 2018. To meet the company’s growing customer base, Kitestring now has 150 employees — up 25% from five years ago — in over 25 states and five countries. Approximately 60 workers are based in Northwest Arkansas. Kitestring’s services are focused on retail technology, with experience in POS, payment systems, e-commerce, pharmacy systems and loss prevention.

“Our employees are the heart of our organization, and their unwavering commitment and expertise have been instrumental in our sustained growth and success over the past 25 years,” Jared Smith said. “We take immense pride in our unique business model that prioritizes our employees’ well-being and allows us to provide unparalleled services to our esteemed clients.”

Smith, a Little Rock native who earned a doctorate in physical chemistry from the University of California, said the company’s revenue in 2022 was between $20 million and $40 million.