Edafio Technology Partners

Edafio Technology Partners of North Little Rock, a three-time Arkansas Business of the Year finalist, is in acquisition mode this year.

The company, founded in 1999 as an outgrowth of the previous JPMS Cox accounting firm, provides IT services, including managed services, public and private cloud solutions, and cybersecurity services to its business clients. Edafio has offices in North Little Rock, Conway and Rogers.

The latest word from Edafio is that it landed an investment in early January from private equity firm M/C Partners of Boston, though the amount of that investment was not disclosed.

“We have that trajectory to grow, and we have the ambition and the talent. And I think that we’ve got the right leadership in place to get us there,” said Marketing Director Melissa Swann, adding that Arkansas Business readers should expect to see the company in more headlines in the near future.

“We want to be the choice for anybody who needs technology outsourced,” she said.

She said Edafio is looking to buy other technology businesses, especially in Tennessee and the Tulsa area, this year.

The firm’s client list grew by 25 in 2021; it now serves more than 100 clients, Swann said.

Edafio also hired more than 30 people in 2021 and is at about 114 employees now. She expects its workforce to grow again in 2022.

Swann attributes the company’s success to its people, who embody its core values and mission. Those values and mission include being a unified, respectful and humble team with “unquestionable integrity … and a commitment to client success.”

Edafio, in turn, is committed to offering work-life balance, she said.

Former President and CEO Keith Woodruff retired in December. Swann called Edafio Woodruff’s legacy and said he doesn’t give himself enough credit for its success.

Woodruff served as president and CEO of Edafio from 2010 until 2020, then became CTO. Kenny Kinley was promoted to president and CEO in 2020.