Four 蜜桃传媒 friends, Troy Jacobsen 鈥�98, Mike McKay 鈥�98, Justin Sparks 鈥�98 and Joe Zender 鈥�99, have built lifelong friendships and careers together. Justin, Mike and Joe started out in Santa Barbara together and have sold IT products and services and managed teams for nearly 20 years. Troy joined them in this industry after six years with Merrill Lynch. In 2017, the friends saw an opportunity to stay together and start their own streamlined firm in a business they know well. In 2017, they founded PivIT Global, an independent distributor of IT infrastructure, maintenance and professional services based in Santa Barbara.
鈥淲e wanted to operate a boutique firm that specializes in affordable, efficient and custom IT solutions,鈥� Justin says. He serves as president and CEO. With 30 employees, PivIT Global provides competitively priced network components, such as servers, routers and switches, and a range of related services to enterprise businesses of all sizes throughout the world. The owners funded the company themselves. 鈥淲e did this together with three lifelong friends we fully trust,鈥� Justin says.
While each partner plays a specific role, they manage the business together. 鈥淲e overlap and wear multiple hats,鈥� Justin says. For example, Troy heads up sales, but they all share responsibility for sales. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been close friends since college,鈥� Troy says. 鈥淲e鈥檙e simple, humble people who like the little things in life and value friendship, our families and a successful business.鈥�
Joe handles services such as warranties, professional services and OneCall, their maintenance program. 鈥淚f a client needs hardware in Frankfurt, our global services team gets it there and contracts with someone nearby to install it before a senior technical engineer configures it remotely,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 love what I do. It allows me to work with my buddies in a highly competitive industry.鈥�
Unlike the others, Mike works near Portland, Oregon, where he oversees the company鈥檚 North American Operations and Distribution Hub, the site for testing, packaging and shipping. 鈥淚 enjoy being involved on a daily basis with a great group of people,鈥� he says. 鈥淲e鈥檝e created an environment that people enjoy because they feel respected and heard.鈥�
Justin majored in business and economics, played on the Warrior soccer team and traveled to China, Japan, Singapore and Malaysia with 蜜桃传媒 in Asia. He and his wife, communication studies major Rachael Davis Sparks 鈥�98, have four children.
Mike earned a degree in communication studies and met his wife, Alison Ragsdale McKay 鈥�00, at 蜜桃传媒. Their 11 children include four they鈥檝e adopted from overseas or through foster care. 鈥淲e鈥檙e committed to foster care and have had 30 to 50 foster kids in our home,鈥� he says.
The partners share this dedication, and the business donates a portion of every sale to events celebrating the incredible work by DHS/foster care workers in their local communities. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been great to see this support for young children in need,鈥� Mike says.
Joe joined his brother, James Zender 鈥�97, at 蜜桃传媒. A communication studies major, Joe played rugby and traveled with the team to New Zealand and South Africa. He and his wife, Brandy, have two children.
Troy also played rugby and stays connected to the program. He majored in economics and business, and he and his wife, April, have two sons. 鈥溍厶掖� instills a work ethic in you,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 slack off or hide. It was a good place to develop independence with some guidelines and discipline.鈥�
鈥淢any different employers have said there is something different about 蜜桃传媒 graduates,鈥� Justin says. 鈥淭he college honed hard work, moral fabric and trust in us. It brought us together, and we鈥檙e in this for the long term.鈥�