CRO Terry Richardson on Blue Mantis’ M&A Strategy

Blue Mantis has continued its growth journey with the recent acquisition of North Shore Data Solutions. The two-time HSP250 awardee is set on explosive growth over the next few years as it continues to build on its managed services and other offerings.

CRO Terry Richardson spoke with Channel Insider about the company’s approach to the acquisition process, what makes someone a cultural fit, and the provider’s other plans for 2025.

Blue Mantis bolsters growth strategy with fourth acquisition

The press statement announcing the early May deal called the acquisition a strategic investment in the firm’s networking solutions portfolio, which includes SD-WAN, wireless implementation, WAN, LAN, and more.

The North Shore Data Services team, led by Chuck Desjardins, brings 35 years of experience in IBM Power Systems, managed IT services, network security and compliance, network infrastructure and services, and data center colocation experience to Blue Mantis.

“Part of what you look for in an acquisition is for one plus one to equal more than two,” said Richardson. “As we started to get to know some of the people, we were struck by the technical capabilities they brought and by the cultural fit they had with us.”

North Shore joins TELigence Partners, Brevin Systems, and Calkins Networks as the four organizations acquired by Blue Mantis in 2025. 

Inside the North Shore deal: culture, capabilities, and continuity

Richardson explained that Blue Mantis sees acquisition as one part of its long-term growth strategy to expand geographically and significantly increase revenue in the next three years.

“When we recapitalized with our equity partner in 2024, we set out an aggressive revenue target to reach over the next several years,” said Richardson. “We’re planning to reach that with a mix of inorganic and organic growth.”

“When we do an acquisition, we then want to cross-sell [the wider Blue Mantis portfolio] to those acquired customers,” he continued.

To do so, Richardson said he and the entire leadership team carefully consider all aspects of a potential acquisition during the due diligence period, including the technical offerings and the cultural fit of the acquired company within the entire Blue Mantis organization.

“People do business with people they know, like, and trust,” Richardson said. “When people stick around an organization for a long time, that’s typically a good sign the organization is a solid place to work,” Richardson said. “That applies to customers, too- North Shore has customers that have been with them for decades at this point. They will want to know that those relationships are still solid and that the people they have worked with are treated fairly, or we risk losing them.”

To Richardson, a well-integrated acquisition takes time and patience. Eventually, though, many acquired customers and employees stay at Blue Mantis because they see opportunities that were not previously possible due to Blue Mantis’ scope.

Betting on AI, security, and cloud to weather market uncertainty

Like many solutions providers this year, the Blue Mantis team sees vast potential in AI, security, cloud, and other key technologies. According to Richardson, the team identified five key areas in January, and they have seen all of them do well in the market so far this year. Beyond AI and related data needs, Blue Mantis is also focused on ensuring its clients can achieve business resilience and address what reimagined workplaces need in a post-COVID world of hybrid, in-person, and remote work setups.

“History shows staying focused on your strategy works, and we’re very bullish on the areas we determined back in January,” Richardson said. “We honestly haven’t really noticed much of an impact, positive or negative, from the uncertainties in the market yet, but we continue to keep an eye on everything.”

Even as uncertainties around the general economic outlook continue to swirl, Richardson says the Blue Mantis team feels confident in its approach to customers. This is largely because the team prides itself on transparent communication and tight client relationships.

“Our approach is to get really close to our customers, and without trying to sell them anything, just ask how they are working with broader concerns in the market or within their organization,” Richardson said.

Collaboration between service providers and vendors fuels success in the channel. Read more about DXC Technology’s partnership with SAP and Microsoft.