Craig Hendrickson and Bob Cook were working for a large IT firm in the early 2000s when they were paired together and asked to stand up a new division serving small and midsized businesses in Connecticut.
They built the model and started knocking on doors, Hendrickson in a sales role and Cook as the engineer. They landed their first clients and believed they were heading in the right direction. But their employer did not feel the same way and decided to pull the plug.
Hendrickson and Cook decided to step out on their own. Some of their early clients came along for the ride.
“We’ve never looked back,” said Hendrickson.
Their venture, Connecticut Business Technology Group, now employs about 20 people delivering boutique managed IT and cybersecurity services from a central location that provides easy access to the entire state. And Hendrickson is proud to say some of the company’s first clients are still with it.
“We’ve focused on relationships, and on keeping relationships,” said Hendrickson, the company’s CEO. Cook is the Chief Information Officer.
Companies in manufacturing and construction are another focus for the company. Indeed, Connecticut Business Technology, or CBTG, has attracted numerous clients embedded in Connecticut’s dense aerospace supply chain, sometimes called Aerospace Alley, which encompasses thousands of manufacturers supplying defense contractors like Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky and GE. Clients of CBTG include manufacturers with up to 500 employees. They are privately owned, technically sophisticated in their own right, and increasingly in need of a trusted IT partner who can work at the C-suite level.
High-profile projects have also come to CBTG. The company designed and built out the network infrastructure for Dunkin’ Park, home of the Hartford Yard Goats, and for Two Roads Brewing Co., the largest brewery in the state.
The most urgent issue facing CBTG’s manufacturing clients right now is cybersecurity compliance. The federal government is implementing standards known as Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification, or CMMC. The requirements aim to shore up cyber defenses through the entire military supply chain. The logic is straightforward: it may be difficult to breach a Fortune 500 supplier directly, but a smaller vendor sharing confidential data with that prime contractor presents a softer target.
“It’s a scramble for a lot of companies to comply,” Hendrickson said. “We’re one of only a handful of managed service providers in Connecticut that are qualified to help them navigate CMMC compliance.”
Despite all the advances in cyber security, it remains a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game. Hackers probe for flaws in software; vendors race to patch them. Artificial intelligence is accelerating the cycle. For companies with systems to defend, standing still is not an option.
CBTG matches the individual needs of each client. Some need a fully outsourced IT department. Others require a high-level supplement to their internal teams.
“And sometimes those needs change year to year,” Hendrickson said, noting that regular communication with clients helps CBTG adapt its delivery.
The company also maintains a commitment to giving back, reserving a portion of its budget each year for charitable initiatives — from cancer research to youth programs — driven largely by causes its clients care about.
“Our culture is doing things the right way,” Hendrickson said. “We’re looking for clients who feel the same.”
