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ThunderCat Technology |
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May 6, 2013 Issue |
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The Most Powerful Name In Corporate News and Information |
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As a VAR and Systems Integrator to the Federal Government and Fortune 500 Companies, ThunderCat Technology is providing IT Solutions to Agencies and Enterprises that help make the United States a Better Place |
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Recently named to Forbes'
"America's Most Promising Companies" list and currently ranked #125 on the
Solution Provider 500, the award winning ThunderCat Technology is a
Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned Small Business that delivers technology
services and solutions to the federal government and fortune 500 companies.
Specifically, ThunderCat is a systems integrator that brings an innovative
approach to solving customer problems in and around the datacenter by
providing strategies for Data Storage, Networking, Security, and
Applications. ThunderCat represents, distributes, integrates, and provides
technologies from best of breed manufacturers. Clients include DHS, USACE,
HHS, DLA, DFAS, FBI, NIH, Navy, Army, VA, and TSA. http://www.thundercattech.com. Tom Deierlein, a 1989 graduate of West Point, is a successful serial entrepreneur, Airborne Ranger, and Wounded Warrior. Tom is the co-founder and CEO of ThunderCat Technology, a systems integrator that specializes in data center solutions for the Federal government. Tom's call sign in Baghdad was "ThunderCat 6" hence the name ThunderCat Technology. He has been a single digit employee and C-level executive at many successful start-up and early stage companies. Tom started his career working in sales for Johnson & Johnson and Parametric Technology Corporation in the mid-90's.
A Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient, Tom is a retired U.S. Army Major and Operation Iraqi Freedom Vet. Following graduation from West Point he initially spent five years on active duty with the prestigious Berlin Brigade. In 2005, Tom was recalled to active duty and after graduating from the JFK Special Warfare Center at Ft. Bragg, his Civil Affairs A-Team helped manage over $290 million in reconstruction and economic development projects in Sadr City. In September 2006, he was shot by a sniper and critically wounded. Originally told he may never walk again he has since completed the Army Ten-Miler and two triathlons.
In the Fall of 2006 he co-founded the TD Foundation to assist Iraqi and Afghan Children. Tom is a Certified Peer Mentor with Wounded Warrior Project, and USSOCOM Care Coalition. He is a founding Board of Advisors member of Troops First Foundation and serves on the Board of Directors of the Joseph Riverso Foundation.
Tom earned a Master’s of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California in 1993 and an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business in 2000. He lives with his wife Mary Beth and their two sons in Garden City, NY. |
Technology
ThunderCat Technology
1775 Wiehle Avenue, Suite 104 703-657-7050
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Interview conducted by: Lynn Fosse, Senior Editor, CEOCFO Magazine, Published – May 6, 2013
CEOCFO: Mr. Deierlein, would you tell us about ThunderCat Technology? Mr. Deierlein: ThunderCat Technology is what was classically called a VAR, a value-added reseller and what people today will call either a systems integrator or solution provider. We focus on datacenter technologies and more specifically we sell to Federal Agencies.
CEOCFO: What have you learned about navigating through the system of selling to federal agencies? Mr. Deierlein: It is interesting because doing business with the government is certainly a privilege, not a right. It does come with its own unique set of rules, regulations and the way that things can and cannot be done. From a perspective of how we go about doing it, we have hired people who have specific experience in selling in the federal IT marketplace for more than 10 years. In terms of why we excel, it is also specifically related to people who we bring in. Our model is very unique—our business model is truly to hire the Shaquille O’Neal, Derek Jeter, or Wayne Gretzky of our industry. These people are natural all-stars that have a long track record of success. We pair them with the best of the best engineers as well. In fact, we were just honored with the CRN Tech Elite 250 award which recognizes advanced certifications across a number of disciplines. We are really proud of that. That is how we navigate it. We have folks with experience—we have a set of people who understand the rules of the road and what it takes to be successful in the federal marketplace. We have a talented team with extensive experience in the field.
CEOCFO: Do you find that hiring high-quality people attracts other high-quality people? Mr. Deierlein: Absolutely. We are 35 people today and have only had 36 people in our 5 year history and that one person was asked to leave. We are approached by recruiters all the time—recruiting engineers, recruiting sales reps and recruiting sales operations people. To date, with the exception of 1 or 2 of our entry level junior positions, all of our hires have come from our personal networks. People who we know through experience and understand their reputation and most importantly their core values. We have a very familial culture here. We work hard and we play hard together. We use the acronym TCAT to describe our people T – Talented, C – Committed, A – Accountable, and T – Trusted.
CEOCFO: Would you give us an example of ThunderCat’s innovation? Mr. Deierlein: When we say an “innovative approach” I like to think of it as three things: objectivity is one. As with many other VARs we represent a broad range of products in certain categories, including two that would be considered competitors. For example, it might be NetApp versus an EMC or HP. Therefore, the first way that we are innovative is that we do truly approach each challenge or problem being presented to by our potential customers in an objective, independent way. The second way is that we are multi-disciplined—we are not just selling storage, networking or cyber-security. We understand the total architecture and we are able to approach it systemically and holistically. Our account managers act more like solution architects and build solutions for customers, they are not just selling. Lastly, we are innovative by constantly studying and evaluating new and emerging technologies. As a VAR, we are not necessarily innovative by sitting in a room and writing code; we innovate by making sure we have properly vetted and/or partnered with any up-and-coming, emerging technologies that we feel in the next 24 or 36 months will become must-have, best-in-class technology.
CEOCFO: Are there any types of projects you prefer? Mr. Deierlein: When we first started, our core competency was in storage. Many of the opportunities and sales professionals we brought on had come from storage backgrounds. In the age of Big Data that is becoming more and more important. Rather than claim we are all things to all people, we are fundamentally good at storage, cyber-security, and networking with companies like Riverbed. What makes us unique in our marketplace is that unlike most folks who only go after only intel, only civilian or only defense agencies we are equally spread across defense and intel through to civilian agencies. Our business model is a like franchise model because we provide background support, contracts, finance, HR and administration. But, when we put someone into the field we do not tell them what they have to sell or where they have to sell it and that is fairly unique compared with telling someone to call the FBI and telling them to only sell storage out of a particular group of vendors. Instead, we have a set of people who we empower to go out without assigned products that they must sell or assigned territory. That is why we have such a broad range in our client base.
CEOCFO: Would you tell us about ThunderCat Technology’s focus on giving back? Mr. Deierlein: I am very proud of our philanthropic efforts. First and foremost among those: I am a Wounded Warrior. I was shot by a sniper in 2006 in Baghdad. As a Wounded Warrior and as a service disabled veteran who owns a small business, one of our primary focuses is on helping Wounded Warriors. More specifically, I am a certified peer mentor with the Wounded Warrior Project and with the USSOCOM Care Coalition, which is specific to Special Operations soldiers. It is interesting that you bring this up because next week we are sponsoring an event with The COMMIT Foundation. It runs a number of events and seminars each year to help folks who are transitioning from the military into the business sector. They pair them up in one-on-one mentor workshops. Next week, I am flying to Dallas to serve as a mentor and represent ThunderCat Technology as one of the lead sponsors of this event. Also, I have been involved as a founding board of advisors member with Troops First Foundation. It is a quality of life organization that helps all troops and with a focus on Wounded Warriors and you may be familiar with is because David Feherty, the CBS golf analyst, is one of the co-founders. I also run the Tom Deierlein Foundation. When I was in Baghdad, I saw the destitute conditions that all these innocent, needy children were living in and I started doing humanitarian aid on my own as well as it being a part of my mission statement with Civil Affairs in the United States Military. After I was shot, some friends of mine formed a 501(c)(3) and it helps children who are impacted by the war, specifically children in Iraq and Afghanistan. This year we will pass a total of a million dollars raised over the past 7 years. We have done 50 medical lifesaving cases for children in Iraq and Afghanistan, over $175,000 worth of school supplies, over $50,000 of medical supplies and more than $30,000 in children’s vitamins. We have helped another non-profit stand up for folks with PTSD, Invisible Wounds and there was a small organization in Denver that does horseback riding on a ranch who we helped sponsor for fundraising activities. There are many local, small organizations as well but those are some of the major initiatives that we have done here as a company.
CEOCFO: How do you decide where to focus your charitable efforts? Mr. Deierlein: That is a great question. Our focus tends to be with Wounded Warriors, innocent children impacted by war and the issues around health and education. That is usually a good starting point. There are some major organizations out there like Wounded Warrior Project or IAVA, the Iraqi and Afghanistan Veterans of America, that raise millions of dollars every year and that is great. But, we like to help some of the smaller grassroots organizations with low administration and marketing costs. For example, in the TD Foundation 100% of donated funds go to the needy children minus 2.9% that the credit cards take for the processing fee. USSOCOM Care Coalition is grassroots and we do not get paid to support them. The COMMIT Foundation is new but we love their mission and we like that they are trying to help veterans find work. Troops First Foundation is a small grassroots organization. O.A.S.I.S. is another group that we as a company are a corporate sponsor and I personally have provided funding. It is an operational advocate supporting injured soldiers, specifically special operations soldiers and they help them navigate the complex VA benefits labyrinth, an important task that I do not think is filled by anyone else. So we do tend to look for things that are grassroots. A small amount of money can make a big difference. Recently, we partnered with Code of Support Foundation, a new organization that did a benefit concert called VETStravaganza at the Lisner Auditorium two weeks ago and we were a lead sponsor because we know they are making a difference helping veterans find jobs.
CEOCFO: How does ThunderCat Technology’s focus differ from other companies? Mr. Deierlein: It is interesting because when we started as a company 5 years ago we thought: what is our vision, what is our mission? We make America a better, stronger place to live. That is a macro view of it. It is important to us because we view the work that we are doing as helping the United States. We see that it is a privilege, not a right, to be able to do business with the U.S. government. When we started looking at what we are really trying to do—whether it be with storage, with security or with applications that move faster—we understood that that is what we do at a tactical level. What we are truly doing when we talk to a CIO or an IT manager whose jobs are to support the mission of Health and Human Services, or the IRS, the tool or enablement for those missions is information technology and we see it the same way. What we do is help solve IT challenges; what we do is provide IT solutions. But it is important that we understand that is just a means to an end. The end goal that we make sure is that we are enabling people to accomplish their mission to make the United States a better place.
CEOCFO: How is business these days? Mr. Deierlein: We continue to do well. We are certainly not immune from sequestration and budget cuts, but currently business is good. We are fortunate to be one of the winners of the DHS, FirstSource II contract, a recent award that is a multiple year IDIQ, Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity. Some agency programs are delayed or outright cancelled but we are expecting to have a decent year. Knock on wood.
CEOCFO: Why is ThunderCat Technology an exceptional company to business and investment communities?
Mr.
Deierlein:
Fundamentally, ThunderCat Technology is an exceptional company for a couple
of reasons. Primarily, it is because of our people. We only hire the best of
the best and we get out of their way and let them do their job. That is the
culture we have established. If you pick up the phone, it does not matter
who you end up talking to, you know you are talking to someone who takes
pride in what they do and they are good at what they do. The second reason
that people are willing to partner with ThunderCat is because of our value
system. We are folks who are committed to the highest standard of ethics and
performance and giving back to the community. Getting business or partnering
with ThunderCat will end up benefitting the end-user, your company and my
company. But additionally down the road it is going to impact a number of
organizations and charities with good causes. We have our set of challenges
as we grow from a smaller to mid-sized company and preparing for growth
beyond but there is nothing particularly unique about our set of challenges
and I am sure that many of your readers have had the same challenges as
well. |
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“What we do is help solve IT challenges; what we do is provide IT solutions. But it is important that we understand that is just a means to an end. The end goal that we make sure is that we are enabling people to accomplish their mission to make the United States a better place.”- Tom Deierlein |
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