From A Single Office to 25 Years of Trust: What We Can Learn From Net Friends' Journey

From A Single Office to 25 Years of Trust: What We Can Learn From Net Friends' Journey

When David Scarborough started Net Friends in Durham, North Carolina back in 1997, the internet was still young and chaotic. People were barely understanding what an IT department should even do. Fast forward a quarter-century, and this company has navigated the dot-com crash, the rise of cloud computing, HIPAA regulations, and a global pandemic. Not bad for what started as one founder's vision.

I find their story fascinating—not because they're the biggest or the flashiest, but because they're still here, growing steadily. In a tech industry obsessed with overnight success stories and venture capital unicorns, there's something quietly powerful about a company that's been consistently excellent for 25 years.

How It Started: The 1990s Power Play

Picture this: 1997. The Spice Girls are dominating the charts, you're probably using AOL dial-up, and David Scarborough decides to start an IT support company in North Carolina. Pretty bold move when you think about it.

By 1998, they hired their first employees and snagged a downtown Durham office on Main Street. By 1999, they'd grown to five people—including John Snyder, who'd eventually become CEO. This wasn't explosive growth, but it was intentional growth. They weren't trying to be everywhere at once; they were building something real.

The Pivot That Changed Everything

Here's where the story gets interesting. In the early 2000s, Net Friends was almost entirely dependent on Duke University for their revenue. Then HIPAA (the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) came along, and Duke's IT leadership could have just shut them out. Instead, someone saw potential.

This is crucial: Instead of panicking, Net Friends decided to become HIPAA experts. They didn't just comply with the new regulations—they built it into their DNA. They started issuing monthly security reports, consolidated massive Active Directory domains, and basically became the security specialists Duke needed.

By 2003, they weren't just an IT support company anymore. They were a security-first company. That's the kind of strategic pivot that separates companies that survive industry changes from those that get disrupted into obscurity.

When You Know Your Lane

Around 2009, something smart happened. Net Friends had a software development arm called SciMed Solutions that was doing well, but the leadership realized it was diluting their focus. So they spun it off as a sister company and got laser-focused on what they did best: IT support, security, and strategy.

This tells me something important: growing doesn't always mean doing more things. Sometimes it means doing fewer things exceptionally well. They went from 30+ employees spread across multiple service lines down to a lean team of 16. Counterintuitive? Maybe. But it worked. They grew more efficiently after that decision.

The Steady Build: 2010-2015

Between 2010 and 2015, Net Friends experienced four consecutive years of 40% year-over-year growth. Not 400%. Not overnight. But consistent, sustainable growth that they could actually scale their team around.

In 2013, they promoted five new managers and built out their organizational structure. This is the boring stuff nobody tweets about—proper org charts, onboarding programs, training systems—but it's everything. You can't scale a business on the back of good people alone; you need systems and structure to grow responsibly.

Building for the Future (And The Unexpected)

Fast forward to 2019. Net Friends launches two new core service offerings (NetCore and NetForce) and decides to pursue SOC 2 Type II certification. This is the kind of compliance audit that takes months and real money.

Here's the kicker: while conducting this audit, they realized they should build a Pandemic Response Plan. In September 2019. Before anyone was even using the word "pandemic."

When March 2020 hit, while most companies were scrambling to figure out remote work, Net Friends had already drilled their playbook. They had a four-page Pandemic Playbook ready to go. Were they lucky? Maybe a little. But mostly they were prepared.

What Actually Matters (Spoiler: It's People)

By 2021, Net Friends' official tagline became "Our Power Is Our People." This isn't a marketing slogan they threw together for the About page. It's literally what kept them afloat during a global crisis.

During the pandemic, instead of slashing budgets, they promoted people. They celebrated promotions (like Joel Abney becoming Chief Operating Officer). They continued their SOC 2 Type II compliance work. They invested in their team while everyone else was hunkering down.

The Real Lesson Here

What strikes me about Net Friends' story is that they didn't invent anything revolutionary. They didn't disrupt an industry or come up with some never-before-seen technology. They just:

• Stayed focused on what they were good at
• Adapted strategically when industries changed (HIPAA, compliance requirements)
• Built systems and culture instead of just hiring smart people
• Invested in security before it was cool to talk about
• Prepared for uncertainty and took calculated risks
• Valued their team enough to promote and develop them

These aren't flashy business moves. They're boring, fundamental principles that most companies ignore in favor of chasing the next trend.

Why This Matters For You

If you're thinking about IT support, security, or managed services, understanding how companies like Net Friends operate is important. They've proven that security expertise, consistent quality, and genuine client relationships create lasting value—especially in a market flooded with vendors promising quick fixes.

Their 25-year journey also shows that the companies worth partnering with aren't always the newest or the most aggressive in their marketing. Sometimes they're the ones that have quietly been solving problems the right way, year after year.

That kind of reliability? That's worth paying attention to.

Tags: ['it support', 'business strategy', 'company culture', 'it security', 'hipaa compliance', 'managed services', 'organizational growth', 'soc 2 certification']