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Certified by the National Minority Supplier Development Council |
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About Our President
For Lenora Payne, president of Technology Group Solutions, LLC, hard work, outstanding customer service, and a talented staff have helped create one of the fastest growing Minority Owned Business enterprises (MBEs) in Kansas City.
Overland Park based Technology Group Solutions provides information technology products, services, staffing, and training to the private and public sectors, helping large organizations create their information technology (IT) infrastructure and network. TGS is an authorized reseller of products and software from major manufacturers including Hewlett Packard, IBM, Sun Microsystems, Raritan, ShoreTel, and others
Payne gives 100 percent of the credit for Technology Group Solutions's success to her staff. "The members of our team have an average of 15 years of work in the IT field," she said. "Without them we wouldn't be where we are today. We all have different abilities and talents, and we compliment each other."
While she is modest about her role, it is clear Payne's commitment to excellent customer service, staying up-to-date with technology, and always staying in touch with clients are the driving forces behind the company's success.
A native of Kansas City, Kansas, when Payne got her start in IT, she was working with eight-inch floppy disks and laptop computers that cost $10,000 each. A lot has changed since then, and Payne learned early on that keeping current with the latest technologies is essential.
Payne held her first IT job 25 years ago at a company that sold word processing equipment by word-of-mouth. She quickly found her niche, becoming operations manager at Micro Age, a company that eventually was acquired by General Electric. She learned about LAN/WAN, security, infrastructure design, deployment of computer systems, and system integration.
After years of working for others, she took the bold step of venturing out on her own in 2005, forming TGS. Her company manages and deploys IT solutions custom-designed for organizations with 500+ employees.
"It's the satisfaction of meeting my clients' needs that is most rewarding to me," Payne said. It makes me feel good to meet the challenge of a customer's unique order and working hard to fulfill it."
Today those clients include Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City, the Unified Government of Wyandotte County, Kansas City Power & Light, Embarq, Saint Luke's Health System, and Olathe Schools, among others.
Her secrets of success are providing a level of customer service and coordinated solutions that set her company apart from others in the market. "We focus on satisfaction one order at a time because that's what works for our customers, and that's what leads to complete customer satisfaction."
Payne and her team are continually involved in training and education to stay abreast of what's new in the industry. "We are dedicated to on-time service and doing what we said we would do."
Clearly those secrets to success are working. Technology Group Solutions expects revenues in 2008 to exceed $8.5 million, and the future looks bright with several new contracts being negotiated, hiring of additional staff, and a move to a larger headquarters to accommodate future growth.
Recognized recently by Hewlett Packard as an Elite Partner for the Public Sector, selected as Diversity Supplier of the Year by Minority Enterprise Development Week, and completion of the requirements to become Certified as a Minority Women Owned Business, Technology Group Solutions' success is raising eyebrows. "It's certainly been challenging at times, but starting my own business is definitely one of the most rewarding experiences of my life, and one of my proudest accomplishments," Payne said.