Afognak Native Corp. Acquires 3SG Inc: a rise-to-power success story.

• Author: Blumer, Marilyn

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This is a rags to riches, humble beginnings story of how the American Dream was achieved for Justin Burgess and Brian Evans of 3SG Inc. What began with two guys and a great idea grew into a business that was viable enough to be purchased by a successful Alaska Native village corporation.

Six years ago, their business was being run from a rented 10-foot by 10-foot file closet without bathroom facilities. Now, Afognak Native Corp. owns it.

Afognak Native Corp., Alutiiq Center in Anchorage, located on Arctic between 36th and Tudor, is a new five-story building with Class A office space and state-of-the-art telecommunications technology. It opened in July 2006. The building houses a beautiful 1,200-square-foot museum, depicting the 9,000-year history of the Alutiiq people in the Kodiak Archipelago and Afognak Island.

Burgess, president, and Evans, director of marketing and sales, believed they had a sustainable and marketable business plan: provide computer network security and information technology (IT) management to small and mid-sized businesses with "three simple goals"--3SG-in mind: Value, Relationship and Inheritability.

3SG is committed to bringing their clients value for their investment, said Evans. Who can afford to be without firewalls and technical support these days with trojans in many an e-mail? 3SG provides computer monitoring 24/7. The company does not manufacture excess billing charges, add extravagant margin, or push solutions that an organization does not need or cannot easily inherit, said Evans.

3SG is dedicated to building a superior relationship with their clients, he added. This is necessary for going beyond their clients' expectations and reaching its goals. It opens communication and allows 3SG and its clients to work together, achieving the desired results.

And what is meant by inheritability? 3SG understands there may come a time when a client may wish to end a relationship with 3SG. Building lasting relationships with their clients is, of course, of utmost importance, but they do not attempt to box clients in so they have no other choice but to maintain a relationship with 3SG. The services 3SG provide last for the long-term.

Specifically, 3SG provides managed services that includes spam filtering; hardware and software sales; IT support; and professional services. That's a tall order to fill with a growing company. How does a corporation with six employees manage all of that, continue to...