Vancouver-based IT service provider Gekkotek has closed its doors, but four new organizations have spun off from its 10 former employees.
Under the weight of nearly $1 million in debt, Gekkotek’s operations ceased in late December.
But former Chief Financial Officer Bob Deasy started Earth Friendly Technologies and Bryan Soemo and Scott Winter each started IT consulting firms, said Valerie Reamer, former owner and chief executive officer of Gekkotek.
Soemo founded Camas-based Lead IT in December, hoping to find a new source of income and put to work his eight years of IT experience.
“I always wanted to try some things my way, so we’ll see how things work out,” he said.
Soemo works with one business partner, also formerly of Gekkotek, providing managed IT services and consulting for small- to medium-sized businesses.
Being an entrepreneur in a slow economy is a hard road, but Soemo found he wasn’t alone after signing up for an Internal Revenue Service tax seminar for new and small businesses.
Attendance was high enough to expand the workshop schedule to multiple sessions.
Meanwhile, Monica Harris, Gekkotek’s former director of marketing, began work Jan. 3 as executive director of the Vancouver-based nonprofit Northwest Community IT, which she founded.
The organization provides tech services to businesses, including former Gekkotek clients, and serves nonprofits on a sliding scale.
Reamer will serve as a business development specialist for the nonprofit.
About Gekkotek’s closure, Reamer said the company “didn’t really lose any major clients, but the major clients had were not spending any money. Our pipeline dried up. Projects were slower and slower.”
Reamer gave her staff final paychecks without severance packages, and she doesn’t anticipate bankruptcy.
“What was important to me was that all the local debt was paid off,” she said.
The company’s hardware and software sales dropped off most, Reamer said, but IT services revenue remained steady, meaning there could be a solid market for the new, service-based spinoffs.
In its short life of five years, Gekkotek reached annual revenue of about $7 million in its best year, Reamer said. The company was a finalist for the VBJ’s 2006 Business Growth Awards.
“This education is the most expensive I’ve received, but the community response to our organization has been really phenomenal,” Reamer said. “It’s sad to be closing, but look at what has happened. I couldn’t be prouder.”
Charity Thompson can be reached at cthompson@vbjusa.com.
