March 19, 2019

This week’s Up-and-Comer is Jeremy Thomas, president of CMIT Solutions of Sioux Falls.

Name: Jeremy Thomas

Age: 42

Hometown: Sioux Falls

What brought you to Sioux Falls?

I was born in Sioux Falls and spent most of my life growing up here. After attending college in Illinois and working in Dallas, I came back to Sioux Falls in 2007 to open up a bowling center and eatery, Eastway Bowl/Sports Lounge & Grill, with my brother. Now, both my family and my wife’s family are based here. Out of everywhere I lived, Sioux Falls feels the most like home.

What keeps you in Sioux Falls?

Sioux Falls has been a vibrant business community for quite some time. While the area continues to grow, I love how we keep a culture of small-town charm. Sioux Falls is a great place for families, and I’ve had the honor to pursue business ownership, which many people dream about but never achieve due to lack of resources and support.

What’s your favorite thing about your job?

I’ve always considered myself a tech guy. When you think about it, IT is all about problem solving, which definitely keeps me intrigued and engaged on a daily basis. In the end, I love cracking this unknown code and helping other small-business owners get the support they need.

How did you get connected to your industry?

 While owning Eastway Bowling/Sports Lounge & Grill, we made large investments in technology and had to research, implement and often install these solutions on our own. We were never aware of an organization out there that could assist us. As a result, our focus was taken away from important operational tasks in order to troubleshoot or implement technology solutions.

After earning my degree in information technology, I came across CMIT Solutions while reading about technology franchises in Entrepreneur magazine and decided to contact the company’s home office for my own ownership opportunity.

In the end, having to do most of the IT work at my first business was a blessing in disguise — it revealed to me that I have a passion for technology and truly love working with it. Fun fact: My brother, who still owns Eastway Bowl/Bar & Grill, was one of my first clients!

Describe your business in three words.

Proactive IT management.

What’s your favorite way to give back to your community?

As of recently, owning a business that directly supports like-minded small-business owners has been such a rewarding experience. These days, without well-run technology systems in place, your business can suffer. I’m humbled and excited to work with other entrepreneurs in the area to make sure they’ll succeed.

Though, my wife and I have always been involved in the community. We’ve worked with the local humane society and food pantries, as well as hosted many parties at Eastway for surrounding nonprofits. In fact, one of my favorite memories was hosting the Special Olympics’ statewide tournament there. I’ve never experienced so much joy!

What’s one business you’d like to see in Sioux Falls that isn’t here now?

Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s — I love unique places to grocery shop.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

My goal is simple, yet profound: to build my CMIT Solutions business from the ground up and become the No. 1 managed IT service provider in Sioux Falls.