A 31-year-old information technology company headquartered at the Columbus Municipal Airport has been purchased by a much larger and globally known corporation.
TLS.NET Inc., located at 1888 Poshard Drive, has been acquired by the New Jersey-based Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A. Inc., according to a corporate announcement.
The purchase price was not announced.
Founded in 1986, TLS.NET also has offices in Indianapolis, Bloomington, Evansville, Louisville and Chicago.
With 35 employees spread across the six locations, the acquisition will allow TLS.NET to keep all of its current personnel and eventually hire new employees specifically for the Columbus headquarters, TLS.NET owner Phil Luzius said. The exact number of new hires will be determined at a later time, he said.
The acquisition will result in improved compensation, health benefits and profit-sharing opportunities that will help the company better recruit new talent, Luzius said.
Offering such incentives helped Konica Minolta Business Solutions achieve its rank of 383 on the Forbes 2017 America’s Best Employers list.
For Konica Minolta, acquiring the Columbus-based firm will add expertise in providing clients with improved internet-based voice services, the company said in its purchase announcement.
TLS.NET will become part of Konica Minolta’s All Covered IT Services division, which was created to offer a range of information technology strategy, support and network security solutions for potential clients, the release stated.
Division president Todd Croteau described TLS.NET as a strong and trusted player in the voice services industry.
TLS.NET handles a client’s business communications needs via the internet, so the company doesn’t have to install and maintain its own on-site software and servers, Luzius said.
By offering off-site management — known as cloud solutions — TLS.NET provides advanced voice services, effective cybersecurity and software updates designed to unify a range of different communication devises that might include both landline and smart phones, Luzius said.
Many clients prefer cloud solutions so they don’t have the hassle of buying expensive equipment or hiring their own specialists, Luzius said.
Created after the 2003 merger of two Japanese companies, Konica and Minolta, the New Jersey corporation has developed substantial expertise in digital, optical and electronic technology, the news release stated.
With 7,904 employees, Konica Minolta Business Solutions has market shares worth about $4.3 billion, according to the Forbes global media company.
It is ranked 1,984 on Forbes’ Global 2000 list.
