Riverside Partners' Managed IT and Cybersecurity Service Platform Completes Merger with ASK to Expand Market Leadership to the Midwest

BOSTON, April 15, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Riverside Partners, a private equity investment firm, announced today that its portfolio company, Convergence Networks / Grade A (the "Company"), has merged with Application Specialist Kompany ("ASK"). Headquartered in Lansing, Michigan, ASK is an award-winning provider of managed IT and cybersecurity services. The ASK team, led by Mike Maddox, has a long history of forming deep relationships with clients to understand their organizations and how technology can be used to drive their businesses forward.

"We are excited to welcome Mike and the ASK team to our platform," said Mat Lafrance, CEO of Convergence Networks / Grade A. "Our team has known Mike and ASK for over 10 years. Our organizations share similar values and a long-term partnership approach with clients and employees. Bringing ASK into the Convergence Networks / Grade A family allows us to continue offering personalized local service with an even greater breadth of services and a deeper bench of technical talent."

"ASK was founded on the belief that a managed IT and cybersecurity service company should be more than just a technology firm," said Michael Maddox, CEO of ASK. "When choosing a company to partner with, it is important to make sure our values and relationships with the local community are going to continue. Our partnership with Convergence Networks / Grade A and Riverside Partners will do just that.  We look forward to working with a larger, like-minded team that will allow us to expand our services and capabilities to clients."

"We are thrilled to support combining ASK with Convergence Networks / Grade A," said David Belluck, a General Partner at Riverside Partners. "We invested in Convergence Networks / Grade A alongside the management team last year to support the Company's continued growth both organically and through acquisitions. ASK adds a market leader in an attractive geography with a talented team that has similar values. This combination will benefit clients across the entire platform."

"As a result of this transaction, the combined company continues to further differentiate itself in the market with its technology leadership and people-first culture," added David Del Papa, a General Partner at Riverside Partners. "We look forward to continuing to support the combined management team as they continue to build upon their platform in the years to come."

About Convergence Networks / Grade A
Convergence Networks / Grade A is an industry-leading managed IT and cybersecurity service provider in North America. With over 20 years of success, it is focused on attracting talented and passionate people who work with their SMB clients as strategic partners to drive results. They offer a full spectrum of solutions covering strategic planning, end user support, cloud, cybersecurity, hardware, and project-based services.  For more information, visit https://convergencenetworks.com/ and https://www.gradea.ca/.

About Application Specialist Kompany (ASK)
ASK is a world-class provider of best-of-breed IT hardware, software, services, and cybersecurity solutions. Founded in 1993, ASK's combination of personalized customer attention, technical excellence, and project efficiency has resulted in its reputation as a leading provider of technical solutions. For more information, visit https://justask.net/.

About Riverside Partners
Founded in 1989, Riverside Partners is a middle market private equity firm with total capital commitments of $1.6 billion raised since inception. The firm focuses on growth-oriented companies in the technology and healthcare industries. Riverside Partners is particularly experienced at partnering with founders, owners and management teams and it brings substantial domain expertise and operating experience to its portfolio companies. For more information, visit www.riversidepartners.com.

SOURCE Riverside Partners