Staff Writer
CARIBOU – With the turn of a key, C.B. Smith, owner of Virtual Manager Solutions LLC, walked into his new business quarters on Sweden Street last week.
Just moments before, Smith had received the keys for a $1 from Caribou City Manager Steve Buck. Less than a week before, Buck had received the property as a donation from CCH Small Firm Services with the anticipation that the property would soon change hands.
The property transfer was the second in as many weeks for that property that included the city of Caribou and two technology companies that at some point utilized the same employees.
On May 22, CCH Smith Firm Services donated the property to the city about five months after it consolidated its services and laid off scores of employees. CCH maintains a business across the street at 63 Sweden St.
C.B. Smith, a telecommunications engineer, was one of those who lost his job. However, he was ready.
Sensing some “drastic changes” within CCH, Smith formed the company in May of 2007 along with other employees “in anticipation of losing our own jobs.” When CCH officials announced the layoffs a few days after Christmas, VMS-US was ready within a month to begin its information technologies company, setting up operations in the basement of Key Bank in Presque Isle.
Although Smith was establishing his company in Presque Isle, he also became aware of the dealings between his former employer and the Caribou city officials.
“All this was in the works,” said Smith. “We had a general knowledge.”
Buck explained that the city wanted the building to be used for economic development and keep the property on the city’s tax rolls.
“The city wanted to get (the property) into the private sector ASAP,” said Buck.
VMS-US provides remote information technology to businesses that may be experiencing computer problems. Instead of bringing the hardware to a repair shop, VM employees have the technology and the skill to access a computer through the Internet to fix most problems that can plague a computer.
“In three clicks, we can have full access to your computer,” said Smith. “It’s very convenient.”
Currently, VMS-US has about a dozen employees, but Smith anticipates up to 100 employees by the end of the year. All of the current employees formerly worked for CCH and are happy to be back in their former surroundings.
Nearly 20 years ago, the 52 Sweden St., company was the training ground for ATX Inc., started by Glen Willette. The company eventually was purchased by CCH, who utilized the property and the building across the street for its tax software operations.
With the property transfer to VMS-US, the property has come full circle.
VMS-US partnered with Northern Maine Development Commission, the city of Caribou and the Caribou Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Pioneer Wireless to broaden the technical capability of the information technology sector in Aroostook County.
“All of the component parts are present here to form a powerful information technology cluster,” said Smith in a prepared statement.
This business will lay the foundation for an IT cluster in the county that has the only internationally diverse Internet link in the entire state of Maine.
Through Pioneer Wireless, there is a connection with the Canadian system that would allow information to continue to flow although the rest of the sate could be offline.
According to Pioneer Wireless President Chris Anderson of Houlton, there is only one Internet pathway out of the state of Maine. However, with the Canadian connection, business can continue regardless of what happens to the south, he explained.
For more information, contact Smith at 1-866-674-4867 or visit the company Website at www.ViritualManagedSolutions.com.
C.B. Smith
