Getting to Know the People Behind Just·Tech
Today is an exciting day. Not only is it Just·Tech’s 14th anniversary, but we are here with Joshua Justice, President at Just·Tech, to shine a light on him during our monthly Spotlight Interviews.
If you are unaware, Josh had the idea last year to start highlighting employees at Just·Tech to show the faces behind our company and to tell them that we truly appreciate them. Since then, we have had the pleasure of interviewing an employee each month and the privilege of getting to know them better.
Though this month’s Special Feature was not Josh’s idea, he graciously agreed. This is the perfect time to celebrate us all as a company. In nearly every interview, employee responses have been that “Just·Tech is very family-oriented,” “Just·Tech is a family,” “Just·Tech holds family values.” With this in mind, we’d like to get to know the man behind those values and highlight not only more about Josh but to allow him the opportunity to tell you how much he appreciates all of you.
Without further ado, let’s get to know Joshua Justice a bit better.
Hi, Josh! Thank you so much for talking with us today. Happy Anniversary! What a celebration and accomplishment this must be for you.
Thank you! It is honestly surreal. Most new businesses do not make it past the first year, and even less make it to year two. 14 years, wow. Just·Tech began right before the Great Recession of 2008, grew through good and bad economic times, and continues to navigate through the challenges of the Coronavirus.
Those are definitely great feats to overcome! To start off, we’d first like to hear more about you. So, who is Joshua Justice?
I grew up in Southern West Virginia and attended college at West Virginia University, which through connections is how I met my wife, Natalie. We now live in Alexandria, Virginia, and have two incredible boys, Lucas & Landon, and a Goldendoodle, Cody. I love spending time with family, and our first acquisition was near the area I grew up and near family. This gave us the chance to see our extended family more often.
Such a beautiful family! What first interested you in starting a business like Just·Tech? Was there something that inspired you?
In 2006, the previous company I worked for ended their contract with Xerox and I was approached to be the sales agent owner for the territory that I worked in, Southern Maryland. At 25, I was the youngest Xerox agent owner, and I will forever be grateful for the people at Xerox who took a risk on choosing me.
Wow! Can you walk us through your journey to present-day Just·Tech?
Just·Tech was formed in 2006 as Southern Solutions, a Xerox sales agency, and our only revenue was transactional. During the Great Recession of 2008-2009, we realized our business model needed to change. In 2010, Just·Tech began focusing on managed IT and managed print services which produced strong recurring revenue. In 2012, our company really started growing by double digits year over year after and has continued to grow ever since. In 2015, Just·Tech began creating apps for Xerox multifunction printers and became the first Xerox certified personalized application builder authorized developer in the United States. There are now close to 60,000 apps installed on Xerox devices that Just·Tech has created. In 2017, seeing the opportunity to grow faster, Just·Tech acquired our first company and has acquired four total in three years. With each of our acquisitions, Just·Tech has increased revenue of at least 40% in that area in the following year. We just recently became the exclusive reseller in the U.S. of the most affordable print management solution existing in the marketplace, PrintAnyWay. So in 14 years, Just·Tech has grown annual revenues from $500,000 in 2006 to $14-$15 million in 2020.
That is amazing! What was the most challenging part of that journey? What was the most rewarding?
The most challenging part of the journey with growing from two to 70 employees was delegating my duties. Our amazing leaders at Just·Tech usually have to request (several times) that they take a task away from me that they can handle in order to free up my time and give me more time to focus on other items. I have a weakness for delegation, haha. The most rewarding part of the journey has been to see the growth with the company in terms of size, clients, and revenue and also to see the growth of employees with their own development and their growing families.
You’ve done a great job! Do you have a particular memory that stands out to you since forming Just·Tech?
There are so many big moments I could share. In 2016, when we closed an app contract with Xerox to provide partners in the U.S., the Firmware Connect app we had developed to use with their clients, we really had an “Oh my, gosh, this is huge” moment. Just·Tech began growing even faster and we reinvested the money from this contract in the resources to grow all parts of our business: apps, print and managed IT solutions and it paid off! Our managed print and managed IT business has exploded with growth since then. Xerox has renewed this contract every year since and it has been very successful for Xerox and Just·Tech.
That is a great accomplishment! What do you love most about Just·Tech?
Easy, the people. Our employees, clients, and business partners are such amazing people. I love to tell people about what our clients do and their important work and how we support them. We have such a talented team that has become like a family to me. Also, several of my family members including my wife, father, and sister-in-law work at Just·Tech. You can count on our team to give it their all every day! I have developed great friendships with our business partners, especially our biggest partner, Xerox, and also with other Xerox agent owners.
Love it. What does your day-to-day look like?
It is exciting that as a leader of a technology organization, you get to work with many different things every day. I try to keep a communication structure in place with weekly email communications, quarterly company meetings, and monthly sales meetings. So no matter how busy we are, we are always communicating. Our sales and service leaders also hold weekly meetings that I join from time to time. I also try to visit our offices, employees, and clients as often as I can.
That is a great strategy! How do you implement the “family values” feel that you bring to your company and employees?
I believe in holding the same principles whether I am acting as a father or a business owner. I strive to be fair, honest, truthful, and hard-working and want those closest to me to do so as well. Whether it is telling my sons to pick up their toys or insisting a team member strive to hit their objectives, I believe in holding accountability.
Great philosophy. How do your employees inspire you?
There are moments as a leader when you hear a team member during a presentation deliver a talk track the exact way you would (or better) or respond to an email with the appropriate answer to a client without engaging you first, and it makes you so happy. You are so impressed that they have listened to you, improved, and perhaps are even better than you are in their duties and responses. Seeing employees work-hard and develop inspires me every day.
Such a rewarding feeling. What do you typically tell a business who is considering working with Just·Tech?
When I am out speaking to clients or through other communications, I let them know that Just·Tech is a company that is always fair to our clients. We are transparent and we invest in additional resources to provide the best customer experience. This is proven by our 98% client retention rate which is way above the industry average of 60-80%.
Very impressive! What are you most proud of, either in your work or personal life?
I am always proud of my wife and everything she does for Just·Tech and our family on a regular basis. In addition, she recently joined our school’s PTA as the VP of Fundraising and raised more money for students than had been raised before! Watching my sons improve in their personal, educational, and sports skills make me very proud of them. Watching our incredible leaders rise to the challenge as our company continues to grow at a rapid rate makes me proud. And seeing our employees be creative, work hard, and make our clients happy makes me very proud.
You have a lot to be proud of, for sure. What are your hobbies and interests when you are not working?
I work a lot, haha. When not working, I love going to dinners and seeing movies with my wife, playing superheroes with my sons, spending time with family, watching my sons play sports, hanging out with friends, going to Nationals’ games with the family, doing anything outside, and relaxing!
Sounds like fun! What legacy do you want to leave behind?
It’s a little early in my career for that question and not something I have thought about. However, we have grown a business from being small to much larger and we have been honest and truthful along the way. Possibly because of media portrayals; people often comment the only way to grow a business is to be mean, direct, and bend the rules. Our team has proven that is not true, and you can successfully grow a business while holding on to your ethics and principles.
Great answer! What advice would you give your sons if they wanted to enter the business world?
Be innovative, be creative, ask others for input, but make decisions you are comfortable with, and give it all you got!
Perfect. If you could eat a type of food every day, what would it be?
Tacos! The first meal I learned to cook was taco meat, and I made it once in kindergarten.
Tacos are always a solid choice. Marvel or DC?
That’s a hard one, I love both. For comic books – Marvel. For TV shows – DC. For movies – Marvel.
Got to love some variety! Since we’re all in quarantine, what show are you currently binge-watching?
I grew up with Star Trek: The Next Generation, and I recently finished the new Picard series on CBS All Access that continues the story 30 years after the end of The Next Generation series. It was one of the best Star Trek series I have ever watched. I then started watching Star Trek: Discovery which is in its third season on CBS All Access, and I also really enjoy it. I guess I am a Trekkie again, haha.
Who doesn’t love a good Star Trek binge-watch? Ok, the most important question of all- The Office or Parks & Recreation?
Easy, The Office! It is the best television series of all time that we still watch at my house.
Whew, we were hoping you’d say that! It was awesome getting to know you better, Josh! If someone were trying to reach you, what is the best way to contact you?
Contact any of our offices, ask for Josh, and they will find me!