With the acquisition of Capstone LLC in 2021, Client Solution Architects took a big step forward: Becoming a formidable mid-tier provider.
As the company looks to deliver mission-critical training, IT and digital modernization on a bigger scale, we caught up with CEO Amy Bleken to talk about the opportunities and the challenges that come with that transition.
CSA recently finalized the Capstone integration and refreshed its brand. What advantages does that give you?
With the acquisition, we were looking to use CSA’s foundation and infrastructure and combine it with Capstone’s access to unrestricted contracts and customers to create mid-tier company that dominates and differentiates in marketplace. CSA is a high-touch, agile organization with mature business systems and processes, but has the nimbleness of a small business.
It’s been 23 months since we closed on the acquisition, and we have spent that time focusing internally, reworking our vision, our mission, our core values. Now, we’re providing clarity around our brand, about who CSA is and what we want people to think when they see our logo or hear our name.
How does being a unified CSA change your growth strategy?
With the rebrand, we were able to relaunch a very clear set of capabilities and services. We can go to market as a single entity and strategically partner without confusion. Our customers, stakeholders and employees appreciate the clarity around our CSA brand.
My executive team has worked hard on aligning our investment decisions around growth. We’re looking to expand our footprint in existing accounts and grow in the markets adjacent to those that we serve today.
We’re also very active in exploring tuck-in acquisitions that will augment the gaps in our capabilities and customer penetration. As part of our growth strategy, we’re looking at the full depth and breadth of M&A opportunities that are out there today.
Last year, you attracted Tim Spadafore as chief operating officer and Ron “Fog” Hahn as chief growth officer. What has been the impact?
CSA needed experienced talent familiar with growing and managing a larger business. With Tim and Fog, we have an executive team that can lead us through our new strategic growth path and then execute on that growth ⏤ with excellence. Their experience aligns with where we want to be in three to five years.
When you’re reassessing your mission and vision, you really need to bring in new leaders who can create that change. What can we do? How can we stretch this?
We are looking to grow in a completely new way. With Tim and Fog, the momentum that they’ve been able to generate throughout the company is very exciting. Everybody can see it.
What’s the biggest challenge you face, and how do you address that?
The conversation that we have most often is about the pipeline that you’re able to build as a mid-tier ⏤ finding the sweet spots and qualifying for strategic Governmentwide Acquisition Contracts and IDIQs.
The challenge is getting the government to recognize that there are mid-tiers and the benefits that a company our size brings to a customer are immense. CSA is too big to qualify as a small, yet too small to qualify as a large in many of the opportunities we review today. We have spent a combined 58 years supporting our customers and when barriers of entry to qualify for vehicles to continue that support are too high, it’s our customers who lose the investments in innovation and expertise.
How do you succeed in that environment?
We have to address it by consistently meeting with the contracting officers. We’re trying to shape opportunities early, so that we can ensure that they stay on a full and open track, and the government understands the value they’re getting by keeping it with CSA.
We work with all the channels to educate and to bring awareness into the values and the differentiation that CSA brings now as a mid-tier. It’s all part of that awareness campaign of who CSA is, what we’re capable of doing.
And can you tell us a bit about your firm’s charity work?
Part of our vision is to make a profound and positive impact in this world. CSA has partnered with Make-a-Wish Foundation’s Operation Dream Maker, which provides wishes to kids with critical illnesses whose parents and guardians serve, or have served, in the military. As a company, we can make a difference in the lives of these brave children and their families.
We are currently in the middle of our nine-week giving campaign to raise funds for two amazing Make-A-Wish kids, Jackson and Emma. Through our gracious employee donations and then a match that CSA Corporate will do, we will be making at least two kids’ dreams come true.