Qbase buys Springfield IT firm

Dayton Business Journal (Wednesday, June 25, 2008)

by Jacob Dirr
DBJ Staff Reporter

Qbase Inc. has acquired CFA Networks, a remote data storage and IT service company based in downtown Springfield.

Terms of the deal, which concluded Tuesday, were not disclosed.

CFA had between 20 to 30 employees. Bill Pardue, chief executive officer at Beavercreek-based Qbase, and Craig Terrell, president of CFA, said the two companies are still evaluating whether some jobs will be cut because of redundancy. Combined, the two companies have about 140 employees,
Pardue said.

Terrell and CFA partner Kevin Schleinitz will join Qbase as vice presidents.

"I was not interested in the deal unless we were part of the new organization," Terrell said.

He said that the two men bought CFA in 2005 for an undisclosed sum. He said the company has enjoyed double-digit percentage growth since then, but declined to release company revenue.

Terrell said the companies have been working together for about a year and in
buy-out discussions for the past two months.

Qbase, a data management and analytical company, first learned about CFA as
one of its clients, Pardue said in a company announcement. He said buying CFA will allow Qbase to retain its current client base, now 200 strong, and grow it by offering more services. CFA had about 300 clients, who will also now folded into Qbase and offered additional services.

Pardue said that Qbase is on the verge of a marketing campaign to gain new business throughout the country. He also said that Qbase is pursuing 16 other possible acquisitions including some possible local ones. He declined to discuss specifics.

Qbase has sales offices in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Denver, Chicago, Boston and Pittsburgh.

Qbase also has purchased the data center that CFA has operated in downtown Springfield, partially funded with a $1 million loan from the Ohio Department of Development, Pardue said.

The data center staff will continue operations there, though other CFA personnel will join the Qbase team in their new offices set to open next month at Nextedge Applied Research and Technology Park in Springfield, according to the company.

Qbase will continue substantial operations in Greene County, on Pentagon Boulevard.

E-mail jdirr@bizjournals.com. Call 528-4424.