Co-founders Michael Sanders and Lauren Sanders Join Cloud and Internet Infrastructure Platform as Partners
UPSTACK, a profitable, fast-growing platform that transforms the architecture and sourcing experience for businesses seeking cloud and internet infrastructure solutions, announced today that it has acquired Legacy Solutions, a telecommunications consulting firm specializing in forensic telecom expense audits and vendor management. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
UPSTACK’s acquisition of Chicago-based Legacy Solutions is part of the company’s strategy to accelerate the growth of its industry-transforming platform, which combines the industry’s leading internet infrastructure advisors with proprietary software and support resources.
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“We are excited to welcome Michael and Lauren Sanders of Legacy Solutions to the UPSTACK family. This father-daughter team has turned telecom expense auditing into trusted telecom consulting and management relationships. We hope to build on that legacy with even greater success.”
UPSTACK’s growth strategy is supported by a $50 million equity investment from Berkshire Partners, announced in April, which will enable the company to continue to scale its platform through technology expansion and partner acquisitions.
As part of the investment, Legacy Solutions co-founders Michael Sanders and Lauren Sanders, a father-daughter team, will join UPSTACK as Partners and true equity stakeholders. They also will serve as advisors to business customers that are sourcing data center, colocation, cloud, network connectivity and other technology solutions through the UPSTACK platform.
“We are excited to welcome Michael and Lauren Sanders of Legacy Solutions to the UPSTACK family,” said Christopher Trapp, CEO of UPSTACK. “This father-daughter team has turned telecom expense auditing into trusted telecom consulting and management relationships. We hope to build on that legacy with even greater success.”
Michael Sanders joined the newly competitive telecom industry in 1984, enjoying a 19-year sales career with companies such as Ohio Bell, BellSouth, Ameritech and AT&T. In 2003, he formed Legacy Solutions to explore the then-emerging opportunity in VoIP communications as an agent for master agency MicroCorp.
To gain credibility with large enterprises, Sanders expanded the company’s focus to include telecom expense auditing, finding savings for companies before earning their trust for sourcing network providers. The approach also includes return on investment (ROI) and total cost of ownership (TCO) evaluations for emerging technologies and has driven Legacy Solutions’ growth over nearly two decades. In 2018, Lauren Sanders joined the company as a subagent to learn the business and ensure a succession plan.
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Legacy Solutions’ long-term success and unique business model recently caught the attention of potential buyers. While at first, Michael Sanders dismissed the calls, concerns about supporting customers and subagents long term prompted him to hear them out. While some suitors only wanted Legacy Solutions’ monthly recurring revenue, UPSTACK sought a true partnership.
“UPSTACK’s philosophy resonated with me; they want to grow together and share success with their advisors,” said Michael Sanders. “They were also excited to welcome Lauren into the team to support my succession plan.”
In addition, Michael Sanders finds himself once again at the beginning of a new market opportunity. “The UPSTACK entrepreneurial spirit is invigorating and exciting,” he said. “It’s disruptive but will prove beneficial as the channel needs to evolve.”
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