14. Sonacom IT Partners

IT consulting and integration
Michael S. McNeil
President

A two-time Fast 50 winner, Sonacom IT Partners went through a few changes in the last year. Mike McNeil, president and partner, purchased the remainder of the company from founder Rick Oertli. Sonacom then moved its 40 employees to the St. Louis Business Center just east of downtown. “Where we’re not seeing changes is that we’re profitable and we’re still completely conventionally financed,” McNeil said.
Employee turnover remains low and morale high. “We have an open management style. The employees are involved in what we do,” McNeil said. “And we’ve created an anti-IT culture. The company is very family oriented, and by 6 p.m. this place is dark. We have a relaxed atmosphere here, it’s not a churn and burn operation.” Working primarily in the voice and data networking and voice-over convergence market, the company’s clients are mostly in St. Louis.