Tag Archives: Pittsburgh Business Times

ABG Capital Named on Pittsburgh Business Times’ 2016 Fastest Growing Companies

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Today we officially announced being named on the list of 2016 Fastest Growing Companies by the Pittsburgh Business Times! Though we’ve been keeping mum about making the list, we never knew our ranking until last Thursday. We can now share with you that we ranked 60th on the list!

ABG Capital Listed on Pittsburgh Business Times’ 2016 Fastest Growing Companies“Our company has been on a sustainable and scalable growth pace for years because we continue to focus on our core competencies and aligning them to the demands inside the markets we compete. We are very disciplined in our approach and honored to be on this list,” explained Jeff Tapolci, CEO.

One hundred companies were named on list of Fastest Growing Companies, honored for their revenue growth, at the Westin Convention Center hotel in downtown Pittsburgh the evening of August 18. Two of our portfolio companies were also named as award winners, VoIP Innovations at number 65, and InspiraFS at number 3.

In 2016, we also ranked on the Inc. 5000’s Fastest Growing Companies in America.

If you’d like more information on the 2016 Fastest Growing Companies and the full list of companies chosen, please visit the Pittsburgh Business Times.

Just another Friday at ABG

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We were unable to get our Just another Friday at ABG Capital post out last week, but today we have some great updates for you. I first want to report on our office build-out that is moving along nicely. Our “fish bowl” like conference room is almost complete and has already been in use. Our Communications Specialist, Natalie DeCario, was signed up for a 3-day Social Media Boot Camp sponsored by ASPE-ROI. Since they were unable to host the course at their facility, due to a low enrollment, we held it in the new conference room so it wouldn’t get canceled. Our visitors enjoyed the new space!

Speaking of social media, we want to give a shout out to Natalie on her first podcast. It revolved around “Social Media Tips and Faux Pas.” She was interviewed by Suzanne Bowen who is blogger for TMCNet on their Monetizing IP Communications channel.

100 Fastest Growing Companies

From left to right: Barry Yancosek, Tim Linn, Randy Stegner, Jason Tapolci, Jeff Tapolci

We have to give a huge congratulations to our portfolio company, VoIP Innovations, for their recent achievements. They were named 13th overall in the Pittsburgh Business Times 100 Fastest Growing Companies. In their technology category, they ranked number 1! What a great accomplishment everyone, it’s well deserved! Follow these links to see photos from the event along with a video of Jason Tapolci, President of VoIP Innovations, who talks about the company’s success.

Not only did they receive that accolade, but they were also notified last week that they ranked 1207 in the Inc. 500/5000 Fastest Growing Company list. This is the second year in a row that VoIP Innovations has ranked in both of these lists. Again, we congratulate everyone at VoIP Innovations for their hard work!

Paul Frye - Employee of the Month

Paul Frye – Employee of the Month

Lastly, we want to give you some updates from our month end company meeting that was held today. Paul Frye was nominated as the ABG Capital Employees of the Month for July. We also want to recognize Dustin Campbell and Jake Crisman who were our Honorable mentions for July. Keep up the great work, you guys rock!

As we wrap up this week’s Just another Friday post, we want to tell everyone to have a fantastic weekend celebrating Labor Day!

Just another Friday at ABG

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Happy Friday everyone! I hope you’re ready to hear all about the exciting things we’ve been up to all week. I want to start off by mentioning that our CEO, Jeff Tapolci, was featured in the Pittsburgh Business Times as part of an executive survey they did. There were 97 executives and managers who offered their advice on business traveling. Jeff was featured in the “Through business travel I have learned to never…” section where he replied with, “Put your car keys in a checked bag.”

ABG Capital Anniversaries

Jeff and Jessica

ABG Capital Anniversaries 2

Erica and Jeff

Since June is coming to an end, we had our Month End Meeting today. Unfortunately our Employee of the Month, Randy Stegner, wasn’t in the office to accept his award but we’ll make sure he gets in on Monday! We also named Matt Chapman as our Honorable Mention. We also congratulated Erica Penrod and Jessica Young for making it to important anniversaries at ABG Capital. Erica has been with us for 5 years and Jessica has been with us for 10 years.

Earlier this week we had a big birthday in the office. Rich James, our legal counsel, celebrated his 50th birthday! After work he was surprised with a birthday party at the O’Reilly Theater. Everyone enjoyed a pasta bar and the show, Other Desert Cities. Later in the week Jeff Tapolci and Ron Eggert joined Pete Ferraro from KFMR at the Cigar Bar at Cioppino of Pittsburgh.

In the office this week our IT crew, Steve Korbett and Jake Crisman, kept themselves very busy. They always have numerous issues to solve on a daily basis, but this week they’ve ramped up their IT efforts and completed over 22 tasks! Keep up the great work you guys!

On Sunday, June 23rd, we celebrated our 21st birthday. We’ve grown as an organization so much since 1992 and we love where we are today but our history is still a vital part of our existence. Next week we’ll be posting a more in-depth article on our history and how our values then still hold true today.

ABG Capital 21st Birthday

ABG Capital Experiencing Unprecedented Growth

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ABG Capital, a privately held business management company that provides back office services to its portfolio companies, had a stellar 3rd quarter and is on pace to have a record year for 2012.

ABG Capital

ABG Capital

“With the close of the 3rd quarter, all four of ABG Capital’s portfolio companies have contributed to one our best quarters ever. Revenues are up 13% and profits are up 25% from the 1st quarter,” stated Jeff Tapolci, CEO of ABG Capital.

VoIP Innovations, ABG Capital’s largest investment, is a wholesale provider of Voice-over-IP telephone services. This company is well on its way to achieving its goal of being the industry’s largest wholesale provider of North American origination and termination.

“This company is where we are seeing tremendous growth,” said Tapolci. “In an aggressive market such as telecommunications, VoIP Innovations has not only been able to contend with their competitors, but are among the leaders of their industry.”

GlobalPOPs, the industry’s largest aggregator of dial-up internet services, continues to actively acquire wholesale dial traffic, as well as end-users through its End User Services (EUS) nameplate. Though the world of dial-up interest service is consistently shrinking, GlobalPOPs and EUS are positioning themselves to be in the dial-up internet market for years.

Finally, Inspira, ABG Capital’s most recent venture, has been self-sufficient for two quarters now. Their role has been determined in their market and Inspira’s focus since the spring has been to bring on new clients. “We are continuing to sign up larger clients,” stated Tapolci. “We now know there is a market for our comprehensive IRA rollover and retirement plan termination services.”

With the fourth quarter being consumed by the election and holiday seasons, having three great quarters completed this year gives ABG Capital the momentum needed to successfully move through the rest of the year. Closing out 2012 in the way that they anticipate will allow them to start 2013 ahead of plan, which will make their shareholders happy. If 2013 is anything like what we saw in 2012, look out.

“We’re extremely proud of our success, but most of the success can be credited to the team we have in place,” said Tapolci. “It’s not every day that you can have profitable companies and keep the fun, family atmosphere that we have, especially to the point where you’re named one of the best places to work in the state. We’ve been blessed, that’s for sure.”

About ABG Capital: Located in Pittsburgh, PA, ABG Capital leverages its unique business management model to reduce costs through the consolidation of back office operations for its portfolio companies. By consolidating services like accounting, legal, IT, software development, employee administration and HR, we are able to eliminate redundancy among, increase efficiency and be very nimble to the changes that occur in the market.

ABG Capital Among Best Places to Work in Western PA

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ABG Capital was recently ranked 41st on the Pittsburgh Business Times list of 2012 Best Places to Work in Western Pennsylvania.  This list ranks 96 Pittsburgh-area workplaces.  Since 2005, ABG Capital has been honored for this recognition six times.

ABG Capital

ABG Capital

“We make a point to foster a family atmosphere here, and to know our employees feel the same way is extremely gratifying,” stated Jeff Tapolci, CEO of ABG Capital.

ABG Capital prides itself on creating a positive work culture for its employees.  To ensure success, the company abides by their mission, which is to cultivate ideas and people through C.O.R.E. (Cultivate, Overcome, Respect, and Evolve) Values for the purpose of giving back. Additionally, the ABG Capital staff participate in many team activities to help keep employees engaged.

The basis of ABG Capital’s mission statement is their C.O.R.E. Values.  To Cultivate, they encourage and support a healthy life balance for each employee.  They Overcome obstacles by combining passion and perseverance to achieve success.  They believe that Respect is achieved by earning mutual trust and exhibiting reliability. They encourage each employee to Evolve by embracing the ability to adapt and innovate.

Additionally, ABG Capital values giving back to their community.  Every quarter, they have an opportunity to donate time to a community service activity.  This past May, they spent an afternoon at the National Cemetery of the Alleghenies, where they cleaned headstones of the entire grounds.  Next month, the staff will volunteer their time at the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

Lastly, ABG Capital believes in keeping morale high and enhancing a team environment by featuring a variety of activities.  Some of their favorite opportunities to gather as a group include their annual softball and flag football games.  Last Friday, they celebrated their recognition of being one of the region’s best places to work by hosting a wine and cheese event for all employees to partake in.

Looking ahead, ABG Capital will continue to focus on people and culture, which will allow them to create a work environment in which both business and individuals thrive.  They hope to continue their trend of being named one of the region’s best places to work in the future.  To learn more about ABG Capital, please visit http://www.abgcapital.com

ABG Capital Anticipates More Growth Through the Next Quarter

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ABG CapitalAs the summer draws to a close, ABG Capital’s business continues to flourish. Of its portfolio companies, VoIP Innovations has experienced the most growth, to the point where it was recently recognized both regionally and nationally as a company to watch in the Wholesale VoIP arena.

Locally, VoIP Innovations placed 12th overall and 2nd in technology in the Pittsburgh Business Times’ Pittsburgh 100 list of fastest growing companies. Nationally, VoIP Innovations was ranked 744th on the prestigious Inc. 500|5000 list of the nation’s fastest growing businesses, published annually by Inc. magazine.

As a result of its exponential growth, VoIP Innovations is looking to bring on new employees. Currently, they are hiring Technical Service Representatives for their Support Department and Provisioning Representatives for their Porting Department.

InspiraFS, another ABG Capital company, provides comprehensive IRA Rollover solutions to Retirement Industry Professionals. Look for a few exciting announcements from InspiraFS this fall as it anticipates similar growth for the rest of 2012 and beyond. In advance of that expected growth, InspiraFS is looking to hire additional Customer Service Representatives.

With so much growth among its portfolio companies, the executive core at ABG Capital is also looking to expand. ABG Capital is currently seeking an Accounting Assistant and an Office Administrator to add to its family of employees. ABG Capital continues to focus on people and culture, which allows it to create a work environment in which both businesses and individuals thrive.

Its efforts have not gone unnoticed, as ABG Capital was recognized by the Pittsburgh Business Times as one of the Best Places to Work in Western Pennsylvania for the 6th time in 8 years. Additionally, ABG Capital was notified that they also made the list for Best Places to Work in Pennsylvania for the 5th time in 7 years. The rankings for both of these awards will be announced later this year.

“This is great recognition for ABG Capital,” said Jeff Tapolci, CEO. “We focus on creating an atmosphere around great people, and to know that our employees feel the same way is extremely gratifying.”

Located in Pittsburgh, PA, ABG Capital leverages its unique business management model to reduce costs through the consolidation of back office operations for its portfolio companies. This summer marked ABG Capital’s 20th year in business. To learn more about ABG Capital, please visit them at http://www.abgcapital.com.

ABG Capital and Portfolio Company, VoIP Innovations, Both Receive Outstanding Recognition

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For the 6th time in the past 8 years, ABG Capital is being recognized by the Pittsburgh Business Times as one of the Best Places to Work in Western Pennsylvania.  The Pittsburgh Business Times created this achievement status in 2005 as a way to honor the Pittsburgh region’s most outstanding workplaces.  “This is great recognition for ABG Capital,” said Jeff Tapolci, CEO of ABG Capital.  “We make a point to foster a family atmosphere here, and to know our employees feel the same way is extremely gratifying.”  ABG Capital was previously honored with this prestigious award from 2005 through 2009.  This year’s award rankings will be announced at an awards luncheon in October.

Most of ABG Capital’s attention is focused on growing their portfolio companies.  To do this, they consolidate services like accounting, legal, IT, software development, administration and HR to eliminate redundancy and increase efficiency.  This has proved to be a successful model for the parent company, as they easily increased customer satisfaction and accelerated business growth.  ABG Capital’s portfolio companies include End User Services, GlobalPOPs, InspiraFS, and VoIP Innovations.  Of ABG Capital’s portfolio companies, VoIP Innovations has also received high honors this year.

The Pittsburgh Business Timeshas recognized VoIP Innovations, North America’s

Pittsburgh 100

premier wholesale VoIP carrier, as one of Pittsburgh’s 100 fastest-growing companies of 2012.  Of the 100 regional companies, VoIP Innovations was ranked 12th overall and 2nd in the technology category.  VoIP Innovations provides the industry’s largest VoIP DID footprint.  Their DIDs’ are used by leading VoIP service providers and can be easily provisioned through the industry’s leading BackOffice, Titanium III.  This is the first year VoIP Innovations has been acknowledged for this accomplishment.

Not only is VoIP Innovations recognized as one of their region’s fastest growing companies, but they are also receiving this award nationwide.  Inc. magazine has ranked VoIP Innovations No. 744 on its 2012 annual Inc. 500 | 5000 list. The list is an exclusive ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies in the United States.  There are nearly 7 million private, employer-based companies in the nation and Inc. honors the most promising ventures in the most important segment of the economy – America’s independent entrepreneurs.

Inc 500 | 5000

“We are honored to be a part of the Inc. 500 | 5000,” said Jason Tapolci, President of VoIP Innovations. ”Only 2% of all private companies in the U.S. make the list.  It further showcases how far VoIP Innovations has come in such a short time.” VoIP Innovations now joins companies such as Microsoft, Zappos, Intuit, Jamba Juice, Zipcar, Cliff Bar, Vizio, Oracle, and many other well-known names that gained early exposure as members of the Inc. 500 | 5000.

ABG Capital and VoIP Innovations are located in Pittsburgh, PA.  This summer marked ABG Capital’s 20th year in business.  VoIP Innovations was founded in 2008.  To learn more about these companies, please visit them at http://www.abgcapital.com and http://www.voipinnovations.com