Courtesy ADKtechs
By Ann Donnelly
For Jared Humiston, the journey from a rented apartment in Argyle to the cutting edge of the regional tech industry has been defined by a single, unwavering mission: to make technology work for the client.
As Adirondack Technical Solutions — known more commonly as ADKtechs — marks its 20th anniversary, the company is preparing for its most significant transformation yet. On March 1, the firm will relocate its headquarters from its longtime home in Washington County to the new Moreau Commons, a strategic move designed to fuel the next decade of growth.
The company’s origins are humble, born from a conversation between a landlord and a tenant. Humiston, now President and CEO, recalls that “literally how we started was with one customer, who was looking for consistent support services.”
“It started as kind of like a side hustle, and then he told somebody, then they told somebody,” Humiston said. Within four years, the business had scaled to 40 accounts through word-of-mouth referrals.
In those early days, the industry was tethered to hardware. “Most everything was built around hardware sales and physical on-premises solutions,” Humiston explained, noting that the company essentially built “small clouds” for individual firms, hosting their email and websites locally.
As technology evolved toward the cloud, Humiston recognized that the traditional managed service provider model was flawed. Instead of chasing volume, ADKtechs made the bold decision to shrink its client base to grow its impact. Over the last four years, the firm strategically reduced its customer count from hundreds to just 50.
“I just didn’t feel comfortable with it,” Humiston said of the industry-standard model. “There was just too much chaos, and it was all reactive. We maintained and grew the revenue while significantly lowering the accounts that we manage.”
This shift allows ADKtechs to operate as a Virtual Chief Information Officer (vCIO) for its clients, focusing on strategy rather than just fixing broken laptops. “Our value is your uptime,” Humiston said. “If my team is at your place on the weekend or working through the night, you’re not able to take care of your customers.”
The upcoming move to the former Suzuki dealership site, which is now Moreau Commons, represents the fulfillment of a long-term vision. While Humiston was hesitant to leave Argyle, the lack of infrastructure—specifically, sewer and water limitations—made a multi-use expansion there impossible.
The new location places ADKtechs closer to the talent pools of Clifton Park and Saratoga County while remaining central to a client base that stretches the length of the East Coast.
“Sometimes you get to join a vision, sometimes you get to create a vision,” Humiston said. “In this case, we get to join Brian and Ben’s vision there [at Moreau Commons]. It puts us closer to hundreds of thousands more people.”
The facility will also offer conveniences for employees, such as an on-site barber shop, salon, and coffee shop. Humiston views these perks as essential for recruitment. “Time is a form of currency as well,” he noted.
The company’s culture is central to its success. ADKtechs provides 100% health benefits for employees and their families, unlimited time off, and quarterly profit sharing.
“We can’t have customers without great employees,” Humiston said, emphasizing that cultural fit is prioritized over technical expertise during hiring. “I will sacrifice nothing to sacrifice the culture that we’ve built, the peace that our team has.”
This investment has resulted in an exceptionally quiet help desk. At the end of last year, the company managed over 2,000 endpoints with only a single ticket in the queue.
While ADKtechs serves diverse sectors like healthcare and finance, its largest vertical is construction. Humiston takes pride in reframing technology from an overhead expense to a valuable tool for “blue-collar” businesses.
“Technology really should enhance your business. It shouldn’t be a crutch,” Humiston says. By moving blueprints and payroll to the cloud, construction firms can take on more jobs and eliminate unnecessary travel.
As ADKtechs enters its third decade, the focus is now on guiding clients through the complexities of artificial intelligence.
“AI is going to be that driver,” Humiston said. “We’re not trying to slow your progress; we’re trying to guide your progress and make sure you’re not opening yourself up to some things out there that you may not be aware of.”
For more information about ADKtechs, visit their website at adktechs.com.