Today we’d like to introduce you to Gavin and Catherine Livingstone.
Gavin and Catherine, please share your story with us.
In the mid-1980s, I had developed several Lotus 1-2-3 templates (Cash-Flow Forecaster, etc.) under the company name MicRoMec and was selling IBM PCs and Apple IIs at The Computer Store in Framingham, MA. So, with no capital and a growing family, we decided to set up shop in the dining room, which was followed by the incorporation of Bryley Systems in 1987. (MicRoMec Inc. was not available as a corporate name, so we chose Bryley, our daughter’s middle name, which was a derivative of my mother’s maiden name, Byerly. Although we did not know it at the time, Bryley means “strong and brave”.)
Bryley Systems grew to a handful of employees by the end of the 80s, but it wasn’t until 1991 when we moved into a 1,700-sq’ storefront location in a 1890s building in Hudson, MA, that things started to improve. (Cathy cried when she first saw the location since it was an old auto-parts store that was a bit tough on the eyes, but the landlords promised significant improvements, which they delivered.) We later expanded to over 4,000 sq’ within this building, adding space at the street-level and in several, upstairs offices.
We were growing steadily through the 1990s and rode into 2000s with one of our largest-sales years. (In addition to our normal sales, we sold over $1M of IBM ThinkPads to one startup company in the year 2,000.) Our staff was about 15 employees, and we were more of a computer reseller than anything else, but our services were developing; we were one of the first Managed IT Service Providers (MSP), launching our ProActive Network offering in 1997. (To perform our server-monitoring tasks and updates, we had a part-time technician who, due to a medical issue, slept days and worked nights, dialing-into our client servers through a telephone-line-based modem.) We also began hosting client servers at our data center in the early 2000s, essentially creating an early, Private Cloud environment.
We ramped up our Managed IT Services, deploying a Remote Monitoring and Management tool (Kaseya) in 2005 followed by a Professional Services Automation tool (ConnectWise) in 2007. However, it wasn’t until about 2009 that our services sales surged upward, primarily due to a commitment to continual improvement, a renewed focus on our core business, and the emergence of our management team.
Today, with a mix of long-term employees (over 70% of our employees have been with the company at least five years; 20% over 20 years) and long-term relationships with our clients (over 50% of our Premier Clients have been with Bryley Systems at least five years; over 25% over 10 years) based on manufacturing, services, and passenger transit, we are a stable, respected organization experiencing steady, upward growth.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
After 30 years, here are a few things that stand out:
1.)In 2004, we laid-off an employee due to sagging sales. Six months later, Gavin asked the laid-off employee to return, which he declined. However, recently, that former employee said that he had regretted his decision ever since because he missed the culture of Bryley Systems and the opportunity to grow. Note: The layoff was an emotional and difficult situation, which we have not had to repeat.
2.) In 2008, we temporarily lost two key employees (both are 20+-year employees); one to a long-term illness that kept him out of the office for over a year and the other to a severe auto accident that was caused by a speeding, wrong-way driver (who was later convicted). In the midst of the start of the Great Recession, we were able to keep everyone on the payroll and productive, despite these temporary losses.
3.) In 2011, after 10 years, we divested our telephony business, which had become more of a distraction than an area of growth. It was a difficult, but important decision, permitting a renewed focus on Managed IT Services and the development of our Managed Cloud Services.
4.) At our location in Hudson, MA, we had a significant water-leak on Feb 1, 2015, which was the afternoon of SuperBowl XLIX when the Patriots beat Seattle. This incident, plus the growth of our employee base, convinced us to find a larger space, which we did in 2017 by purchasing a historic, 10,500 sq’ post office in Clinton, MA that was built in 1937 but renovated in 2004.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Bryley Systems is a team; we operate together to provide Managed IT Services and Managed Cloud Services to organizations throughout New England and the continental USA.
Although technically inclined, our team understands the business considerations and concerns of technology within the workplace, while constantly striving to stay abreast of the changes and challenges this technology represents to our client’s owners, stakeholders, employees, and customers. Our perspective: We love technology, but not at the expense of business reality; technology must meet a business need while empowering technology users to fulfill their potential.
We focus on long-term relationships based on the underpinnings of technology in organizations — Management, Optimization, and Security. Our breadth of knowledge, teamwork, responsiveness, and flexibility set us apart; while we constantly pursue best-practice results, we are practical in our approach, always willing to work together with our Premier Clients to get it done within a reasonable timeframe and budget.
Cathy and I are most proud of our ability to develop and retain long-term relationships with our clients, our vendors, and, most important, our employees. We also appreciate recent recognition:
– MSPMentor 501 Managed IT Service Providers Worldwide — 2014 through 2017
– Channel Partners 360 Degree Award — 2017
– Top IT Consultant — Boston Business Journal — 2017
– Top IT Service Provider — Worcester Business Journal — 2017
Bryley Systems provides Dependable IT at a Predictable Cost.
What were you like growing up?
Cathy grew up in the Back Bay-area, Boston where she lived her first nine years. Although city-dwelling, she always preferred the outdoors. After moving to Northboro, MA, her pre-teen years revolved around animals and community service; she was involved in the Northboro 4H Club and was the Junior President of the Grafton Valley Riding and Driving Club. In college, she was a member of the UMass. Equestrian Team and a volunteer at the Belchertown Therapeutic Riding Program for adults with special needs. She started working at the age of 12, learning customer service at the family restaurant (which is still operating after 50 years), while later branching out to give horseback-riding lessons in her teens. She earned her BS from UMass, Amherst.
I was born in Oklahoma and lived in various states (Nebraska, New York, Indiana, Ohio) before moving to Framingham, MA as a mid-teen. I was a Cub Scout and a Boy Scout and enjoyed the outdoor focus of these organizations, but started working at 14 years, holding different service jobs (bag-boy, dishwasher, landscaper, gas-station attendant) through high school and college. I graduated with a BS from UMass, Amherst and an MBA from Boston College.
Cathy and I met at a disco in 1975; we dated steadily through college and got married in 1980 when I graduated from BC and started working at Computer Partners, Inc. in Wellesley, MA. (Cathy was working at the American Humane Education Society of the MSPCA, which was located at Macomber Farm, Framingham.)
Cathy and I have lived in Berlin, MA since 1983, along with horses, dogs, cats, rabbits, and two (now full-grown) children. Cathy is a board member of the Worcester County Food Bank and a volunteer educator at Tower Hill Botanic Garden. I am a Rotarian and an Ambassador with the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.Bryley.com
- Phone: 978.562.6077
- Email: ITExperts@Bryley.com
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/BryleySystems
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/BryleySystems
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/Bryley-Systems
Image Credit:
John DeCola
Gavin Livingstone
Anna Darlagiannis
Roy Pacitto
Mike Carlson
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
