Today we’d like to introduce you to Russell Young.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Russell. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I used to work for many large companies and dreamed of owning my own business.
I got a chance in 2007 while working for HP and accepted a retirement buyout. Too young and too broke to really retire, I started looking for a business to buy and found a niche IT business in Waco, TX called Vista Com. Vista Com specializes in supplying contact center recording systems. I purchased the company and within a year, moved it back to Houston where we could increase our customer reach and gain greater access to resources. We have grown quite a bit over the years and have since acquired another business in Oklahoma doing the same thing.
We now have offices in Northwest Houston, Oklahoma City and Fort Worth.
Has it been a smooth road?
I applied the principles of working hard and doing the right thing. I spent many hours on the road. I participated in all aspects of the business from sales, to service, and installations, so that I could quickly come up to speed. I met many great people and traveled to small towns I would have never gone to otherwise. Right after I bought the business the financial markets crashed and small businesses failed all over the U.S. We kept working hard, had a few ups and downs but am proud to have sustained growth over the years.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
We offer the hardware, software, and services to enable our clients to record data such as audio and video of interactions between their workers and their customers.
Our customers use this information for legal liability and improving their operations. Most of our customers are public safety dispatch locations. We have sales, technicians, and support personnel that design the solution that will connect to things like phone systems, radio systems, PC’s, video, etc. These devices populate the software with data which can then be assembled to the customers liking for further analysis. We focus on service and provide local, high touch support to our customers wherever they are.
Sometimes I hear recorded information played back on the news and am comforted when it was one of my customers that supplied it. We have systems in major airlines, hospitals, cities large and small, banks, and of course public safety agencies all over the Southwest U.S.
Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Houston is one of the best places to conduct business in my opinion. We are served by ample air and ground travel choices, freight, finances, and labor which helps service our customers. The labor base is diverse and we all have the same southern principles. All our employees are like family. Cost of living is relatively low.
On the flip side, the constant road construction due to growth can be frustrating. I am a native Houstonian and sometimes find it sad to see the urban sprawl. The lack of recreational destinations is starting to be overcome with more fun things to do.
Contact Info:
- Address: 9824 Whithorn Dr, Houston, TX 77095
- Website: www.vistacomtx.com
- Phone: 281-516-9800
- Email: connie.boebinger@vistacomtx.com
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