136: Travis Mack - How He Pulled Off A Multi Million Dollar Company Acquisition

Prior to doing the podcast, I met Travis at dinner in Las Olas through a mutual friend Patrick Cohen. Travis recently arrived here in S. Florida and had plans for connecting good people in business together. He wanted a community in S. Florida that would connect finance, developers and entrepreneurs in the same room. A few months later I attended the event sponsored by his company and since that time we’ve exchanged numerous texts, calls and emails back and forth discussing various business deals, partnerships and team members.  But strangely enough it would be another few months before I could get him on the podcast. At the time his company Saalex was in the middle of an acquisition and he didn’t want to say anything that would jeopardize the deal.  On April 4, 2022 the news hit that his company Saalex acquired Rhode Island based Netsimco in a $30 million transaction and so now we would be able to sit down and have a conversation.  As per the article The company's acquisition of Netsimco will allow it to reach annual recurring revenue of $100 million. For context, Saalex CFO Randy Wheeler said the company generated about $5 million in revenue in 2010, and has shown “consistent growth” to reach the $100 million mark. Saalex Corporation is an Engineering and Information Technology Services firm with core capabilities in the areas of Test Range Operations and Management, Information Technology, Test and Evaluation, Logistics and Engineering Services, founded in 1999 by CEO Travis Mack. More recently Managed security service provider (MSSP) Valeo Networks of which Mr. Mack is the CEO  acquired Next IT, a Michigan-based managed service provider (MSP). The deal marks the sixth and largest acquisition for Valeo Networks and is part of the company’s overall growth strategy. The company previously acquired On Time Tech, a California-based MSP, in November 2021. Mr. Mack provides executive leadership and direction for Saalex Corporation the parent company for Saalex Solutions and Valeo Networks. He provides oversight and guidance for each division's strategic growth and tactical operational initiatives. His experience includes multi-year service in the U.S. Navy and Senior Technology management positions with Homestore.com, and Modis IT Consulting. Mr. Mack holds a B.S. in Business Management and an Honorary Doctorates Degree in Business from Webber International University.  Valeo Networks is a full-service, award-winning Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP) that serves State, County, Municipal markets; small-to-medium businesses (SMBs); and non-profit organizations. Valeo Networks provides solutions in the areas of cybersecurity, compliance, cloud, network infrastructure, and managed IT services headquartered in Rockledge, FL,  I promise you will enjoy this podcast as we get into the nuts and bolts of how this veteran built not one but two successful businesses.  How he launched a $50M Real Estate fund?  How was he able to finance acquisitions of this magnitude?  This interview was captured live in Mr. Mack offices downtown Ft Lauderdale, FL a few blocks from Las Olas, you can feel the energy.  Welcome our next Giant, Mr. Travis Mack.