Cetan Corp
“Prior to working with Top Step we were operating manually off of spreadsheets for resource planning and tracking. This extended our decision making process and had the potential to impact our responsiveness in time critical situations. As we continue to grow we feel we are well positioned with the tools and processes resulting from our work with Top Step to effectively and efficiently support our client’s needs.”
– Tony Morelli, Vice President of Business Development and Technical Services
Hear from Brad Scott, President and CEO
Cetan Corp – Their Keys To Success Are Spelled Out In Their Name
Background
“Cetan” is the Native-American word for ‘hawk’ and embodies the thought and spirit of speed, dedication, and vision. Cetan Corp, a Native American and Veteran-owned small business, was founded upon the same concepts and its swift rise to prominence as an award-winning IT software and solutions provider has come through building its business relationships and by the visionary foresight of Honesty, Accountability, Wisdom, and Knowledge.
Cetan Corp launched with an initial investment of a meager five-thousand dollars in 2007 and soared to earning annual revenues of nearly ten million by 2011. It has not only shaken the ‘in the clouds,’ domain but has also garnered the company a perch in the top 25% of Inc. Magazine’s coveted Inc. 500 for 2011 as one of the fastest growing companies in the country. In addition, Cetan Corp was recognized as Top Native American-Run Company, Top Native American Entrepreneur, Seventh Nationwide IT Services, First IT Services in Virginia, Fifth for Overall Top Companies in Virginia and First Overall in Southeast Virginia.
#1 Develop Your Vision – Then Act Accordingly
“We began with a mindset that differentiates us from the rest of the field,” says Tony Morelli, Vice President of Business Development and Technical Services. “We envisioned ourselves as the company we wanted to be in ten years and acted accordingly; supported with all of the necessary resources by our President and CEO Brad Scott, we have been able to execute based on that vision and overcome challenges that would have constrained other organizations. The results are phenomenal.”
#2 Create Culture Where Accountability And Reward Is Shared
Cetan Corp’s success is due in part to its focus on relationships. Its President and CEO, Brad Scott created a team of hand-picked professionals and empowered them with the tools and support needed to make them successful, while at the same time holding everyone in the company accountable for their work at all levels. By this simple process, he set the Cetan Corp team free to deliver proven results to its growing client base of over 300 customers.
“Honesty and accountability go hand and hand,” says Scott. “Our clients expect us to get their projects done and they have to be completed correctly. I make sure everyone knows their work is essential, but when they need assistance all they have to do is ask for help. We all are ready to be accountable to the client and to roll up our sleeves and attack the problem. There is no ‘political’ advantage in our company to look good when others don’t. When the job gets done, we all look good.”
#3 Invest In Your Most Valuable Resource – Your People
Headquartered in Chesapeake, Virginia with employees across the country that serve its Government and Commercial clients, Cetan Corp has found it important to periodically gather everyone together for a week of face to face debriefing, training and energizing. Team building events and sales-focused role-playing are part of the week’s agenda.
“There’s wisdom in developing and investing in our people,” says Scott. “It’s just as important as developing new programs and investing in new equipment. We meet with our field teams and our headquarters’ staff to get their input. It’s important to hear what they have to say, and to let them know that all of our resources are here for them. The events are as much a strategic investment in their lives and as they are an important aspect to our success.”
#4 Be Trustworthy And Deliver On Your Promise
Relationship also plays a decisive role in Cetan Corp’s ability to work with major corporations and government agencies. When you look at their client list it reads like a who’s who of business titans – Shell Oil, Ernst & Young, Estee Lauder, Sony Pictures, Louis Vuitton, Wendy’s/Arby’s Group, Wyndham Worldwide, Mutual of Omaha, and Williams-Sonoma, and of integral government agencies – USAID, FBI, DEA, and the IRS, and The Library of Congress.
The growing list of clients is staggering, but if you ask how their client base was built, you go back to the fundamental key to building and maintaining relationships. “As a trusted advisor,” Morelli says, “we want to build long-standing relationships with our customers and refuse to treat them as individual transactions. We have a firm belief that we add the most value when we serve as a strategic partner in the planning and aid in the decision-making process for their organizations.”
Cetan Corp promises to reduce IT complexities, enhance service delivery and lower overall costs. It’s a promise they keep no matter what the complexities or the time frame. Morelli explains, “We had a large outsourcer call us in a panic when they had a major problem with one of their customer projects. We were recommended by one of their colleagues based on work that we had done for them earlier and were able to quickly identify and deploy the proper resources and in-effect run to their rescue, helping them address what was a time-sensitive and costly issue. We were able to leverage tools and processes that we implemented with the help of our business partner, Top Step Consulting. In addition to helping us manage our business, the tools made it possible to solve this particular customer’s issue quickly and efficiently. They made it possible for us to have real-time optics into our resource pool and quickly coordinate a plan to meet the client’s needs. It’s important to know who to trust to call in during situations like that.”
#5 Develop Meaningful Business Partner Relationships
Cetan Corp’s relationship with its business partners, suppliers and vendors is a vital key to their success. Being aligned with the best in the business helps us deliver the best results to our customers. “We partner with seasoned veterans and industry leaders,” says Scott. “We are an Elite Solution Provider for BMC Software, Inc., which is one of the ten largest software companies in the world.” In addition to the highest partner level with BMC, Cetan Corp has earned recognition as Partner of the Quarter and top honors as the Partner of the Year based on their success as both a reseller and services provider. They are the sole partners authorized to sell BMC Software Mainframe Service Management (MSM) solutions on the BMC GSA Schedule.
What is next for this award-winning company?
“Strategic portfolio expansion while continuing to focus on our core strengths!” exclaims Morelli. “We want to leverage our investments in infrastructure and expand our portfolio to support our customer’s evolving needs – regardless of which industry or sector, they are in. When someone asks, ‘Can you do this for us?’ we want to always be able to answer in the affirmative and then exceed their expectations.”
Cetan Corp’s partnership with Top Step has proven to be a major lift in their continuing ascent. Top Step’s expertise has freed Cetan Corp’s staff to focus all of their attention to their clients. “Prior to working with Top Step we were operating manually off of spreadsheets for resource planning and tracking,“ says Morelli. “It extended our decision-making process and had the potential to impact our responsiveness in time-critical situations. As we continue to grow we feel we are well positioned with the tools and processes resulting from our work with Top Step to effectively and efficiently support our client’s needs. This, in turn, helps us deliver the results that feed our success. It is fundamental for us, for our partners, and for our clients that we align ourselves with companies such as Top Step, leaders in their space, that share our vision and our core values.”
It’s easy to see that with a broad record of success and guiding principles such as honesty, accountability, wisdom, and knowledge, Cetan Corp is poised to continue its impressive climb and soar higher.
