What happened when Plant City resident Ryan Hunt, an experienced salesman, and former Plant City resident Matt Lang, a seasoned IT professional, met at their former place of employment?
The pair hatched a plan to leave the corporate world behind and form their own company. So, in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic, they cashed in every dollar they could get their hands on, Lang moved into Hunt’s converted garage space to save money on rent and they started their new company, Warrior Network Solutions, a managed service provider that offers businesses 24/7 solutions for their IT needs.
Even though neither served in the military, they have an appreciation for those that do and for first responders. “We felt like it was our way of honoring them through the name,” said Hunt.
The name exudes strength, which is appropriate because the company helps its clients thrive in the information-based marketplace.
Their first year in business, they spent their days pounding the pavement finding clients. Lang would do IT contract work at night to make extra cash. “We made a lot of sacrifices during that time and there was no Plan B, every dollar other than putting my house up for collateral was on the line,” said Hunt. “My wife was supportive and I knew there was no going back.”
They secured a client in Georgia, Georgia CTSI, and made weekly trips to their headquarters. “That job got our company off the ground and gave us the confidence that we could do this,” said Hunt.
That client allowed Lang to move out of Hunt’s garage and get his own place. “Even though it was a converted garage and I slept on a pull-out couch, it was nice when we got to that point when I could move out,” he said.
As the pandemic subsided, Warrior Network Solutions emerged as a rising star in the IT industry for its ability to be a trusted provider in the IT space and ttailor its solutions to each client to ensure its benefits and serv ices focused on teach company’s needs.
CIOReview, a print and digital magazine whose target audience is senior IT management professionals, named Warrior Network Solutions as one of “2023’s Most Promising Managed IT Service Providers.”
“We don’t know which one of our clients nominated us but we can’t thank you enough,” said Hunt. “We’re truly honored that someone would recognize our hard work and passion that we try to convey.”
That passion is expressed through their commitment to focusing on relationships as they learn about the companies they service and determine how they leverage technology to achieve their business goals. “A lot of companies fix things and move on, we roll up our sleeves and try to understand their business model and then use technology to help their business grow,” said Lang.
The company has provided IT services to several local businesses, including Country Village Market, Boss Hogg Radio, Waller’s Power Equipment and One Source RV.
One of their future goals is to be considered Plant City’s trusted IT partner. “There’s a lot of great local businesses that could use quality IT at a price that is very surprising to them,” said Hunt. “We don’t want to be a vendor, we want to establish a relationship.”
What started as a casual conversation during a pandemic had transformed into a thriving IT company. Their determination had turned adversity into opportunity.
For more information about Warrior Network Solutions visit getwarriornow.com, @warriornetworksolutions on Facebook, @wns_fl on Instagram or call 813-946-5093.