Four Decades of Leading-Edge Technology Solutions
Wichita, Kan.—(April 1, 2024)—High Touch Technologies, a provider of comprehensive technology solutions, is thrilled to celebrate a significant milestone as it reaches its 40th anniversary on April 1, 2024.
With its roots as a custom software development company, High Touch has woven an extraordinary story of innovation and growth over the last four decades. From the company’s humble beginnings in a cramped basement office at a local rent-to-own business to its current position as a prominent fixture in Wichita’s downtown skyline and regional business leader, the company’s journey is a testament to the transformative power of bringing the human touch to technology.
Early Innovations and Embracing the SaaS Model
High Touch’s legacy has been shaped by a vision of leveraging leading-edge technology to help transform businesses and enhance lives for both its clients and employee-owners.
Reflecting on the company’s early days, High Touch co-founder Mark Lenz remarks, “I think we all had the perception that technology was going to do a lot to change businesses and improve lives in the future. We had an opportunity at that time when a lot of small and medium-sized businesses were still manual with a lot of their operations. Being a part of the movement to bring technology into those businesses to improve their efficiency, their profitability, and their workers’ lives was something we felt good about taking on.”
In addition to its customer-focused approach to business, High Touch demonstrated a keen eye for innovation by embracing the software as a service (SaaS) model early on, a pioneering concept at the time. This strategic decision by High Touch’s founders cemented the company’s position as an industry leader dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art solutions. “By April first of 1984, when High Touch was incorporated, we had developed a point of sale system for the rent-to-own industry and saw an opportunity there to find a more sustainable way of growing the company,” states High Touch co-founder Dave Glover.
Expansion and Adaption: Meeting Evolving Customer Needs
Throughout the 90s and 2000s, High Touch expanded its offerings in response to evolving customer needs, encompassing managed services, data services, cloud and on-site backup, telephony, virtualization, and video conferencing. This commitment to growth was underscored by High Touch’s expansion into new markets, including Corpus Christi, Dallas, Denver, Kansas City, and San Antonio, as well as its relocation to downtown Wichita in 2008—a bold move that garnered attention and gave High Touch an entrenched presence in the community.
“We got in the newspapers, we got on the news. All of a sudden, High Touch was on the map,” states former High Touch president and CEO Wayne Chambers. “It was because of Wichita and our move downtown that kind of started all that. We were able to talk to other leadership in Wichita. They heard the name High Touch, and then a few of them we actually got to do business with.”
Continuing a Legacy of Innovation
Fast forward to the present day, High Touch stands as a trusted technology partner offering a comprehensive suite of services, including IT solutions, cybersecurity, software solutions, ERP software, and website services. Its latest venture, Nigel, a restaurant management and point-of-sale platform developed in collaboration with Thrive Restaurant Group, is poised to follow in its founding software predecessor’s footsteps.
“Our mission is bringing the human touch to technology—looking back on 40 years, we’re needed now more than ever. With the rise of technologies like AI and advanced cybersecurity concerns, the expertise of our people in helping businesses apply technology to add value is more relevant than it’s ever been,” states High Touch president and CEO Derrick Nielsen. “High Touch employee-owners take the ‘high touch’ name on our shirts very seriously. As proud as we all are about our past, we’re even more excited about our future and where we’re going in the years ahead.”
As we commemorate four decades of achievements and milestones, High Touch Technologies extends heartfelt gratitude to its clients, employee-owners, and partners for their unwavering support.