We’re proud to be celebrating 50 years of tech, services, memories, and innovation at ESP IT. Over the years, we’ve moved and merged, but we’re still working hard, exceeding expectations, and placing people first. Let’s rewind time and reflect on milestones in our Minnesota history and the world’s.
1968
Founded with a mission to connect “Data Processing” professionals to excellent Twin Cities organizations, ESP IT began in downtown Minneapolis. Apollo 8 was successfully launched the same year. Coincidence? We don’t think so.
1986
Owner and CEO Bob Hildreth buys ESP IT from Steve Parker. That same year the Soviet Union (yep, still a thing then) assembled the Mir Space Station. The first email list management system, BITNET LISTSERV, developed in late 1986, allowed users to subscribe and unsubscribe from bulk emails (unfortunately, nothing has been developed to unsubscribe from work emails yet).
1987
We established our ESP Software Services as ESP’s full-service IT consulting division to meet our clients’ growing needs for project-based tech work.
1996
ESP Software Services merges with Cotelligent Inc., a national consulting firm. ESP IT matures into one of the largest privately-owned IT staffing firms in the upper Midwest. Nokia comes out with their mobile phone and PDA hybrid: the 9000 Communicator. Basically, the first smartphone, but indestructible (they don’t make them like they used to).
2008
ESP IT expands its consulting division in-house to complement its direct hire service. While Mozilla’s Firefox and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer compete, Google expands by releasing its Chrome and officially joins the Second Browser War (no, not Star Wars, Browser Wars).
Tech in 2019 and Beyond
Today, ESP IT ranks among the Best Companies to Work For in Minnesota and is a TechServe Alliance Excellence Award Winner Recipient. Besides the Beyond Burger, our most exciting milestone in 2019 is that we moved to the innovative WeWork Nordic Building in Minneapolis’ North Loop.
We’re going to keep innovating. We’re going to keep exploring new technology. We’re going to keep connecting great people with great companies. And we can’t wait to see what the next 50 years bring us.
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