Stratagem Inc., a Menomonee Falls-based information technology (IT) consulting firm, recently acquired the assets of Born Information Services Inc.’s Brookfield location.
Most of Born, a Minnetonka, Minn.-based business and technology consulting firm, was acquired by Edison, N.J.-based Fujitsu Consulting in May. But Fujitsu was not interested in acquiring the location at 400 N. Executive Drive in Brookfield, said Gary Krieger, chief executive officer and president of Stratagem.
"We were interested (in the Brookfield Born location) because they had the same business model, and the culture of the organization was compatible," Krieger said. "Born served the Milwaukee, Madison and Appleton markets, and we serve the same. Born had comparable services, and bringing the two organizations together will result in a great consulting staff."
With the acquisition, Stratagem gains 25 Born employees and six client contracts, Krieger said. Born leased its space in Brookfield, which is not part of the acquisition. The Born employees will move to the Stratagem office in Menomonee Falls, Krieger said.
Krieger declined to disclose the financial terms of the transaction.
Stratagem’s consulting services include project management, program management office (PMO), learning services, eXtreme requirements definition (XRD), enterprise change and configuration management (ECCM), application outsourcing and Web application services. The company’s IT staffing specialties include business analysis and application development and integration.
Born’s services included PeopleSoft solutions, Microsoft solutions, supply chain solutions, business intelligence, business process consulting, application development, project management and technical staffing.
Stratagem gained Microsoft expertise with the acquisition of Born’s employees. Those employees will be able to work with a wider array of clients and perform a wider array of services, Krieger said.
"We met with all of the employees that are coming (from Born), and they are very excited," said Michael Fitch, marketing executive for Stratagem. "They all have exceptional skills that are going to be synergistic with Stratagem’s skills."
The acquisition of Born marks the seventh acquisition Stratagem has completed since the company was founded in 1986, Fitch said.
The acquisition fits with the company’s growth model and will help Stratagem reach its goal of hiring 50 to 60 new employees per year for the next three years at the company’s three office locations, Krieger said. The other two offices are in the Madison and Appleton areas.
Stratagem currently hires an average of three new consultants per month, Krieger said.
"In the next three years, our strategy is to grow in both our staffing business and in consulting," Krieger said. "We plan to have a 30 percent annual growth rate each year."
Stratagem currently has 225 employees including the 25 new employees from Born, which include 23 consultants, one salesperson and one office operations manager, Krieger said.
"This acquisition is one that will continue to help us accelerate our strategy for growth over the next three years," Krieger said. "We feel this is the best match we have made to date because of how similar we operate our businesses."
August 5, 2005, Small Business Times, Milwaukee, WI
