Our Story
In 2001 our founders realized that while demand for IT integration services was rapidly increasing, the market was not delivering value to the end user.
Companies were continually throwing good money after bad at software packages that promised to solve system integration problems, but only provided a Band-Aid® solution.
Out of that insight, Groundswell was born in April of 2001. From the minute it was launched, we saw things differently. We understood that while providing the right services was important, it was just as important to build relationships with the customers who use them. Collaboration was, and still is, key for understanding the issues any customer faces and in turn for us providing them with a results-focused strategy that gets the job done.
Since those early days we’ve grown from three entrepreneurs to an accomplished team of leading industry experts based in Calgary, Vancouver, Edmonton and Toronto. Our exponential growth has been fuelled by a focus on innovation, an emphasis on listening, and a tireless devotion to helping our customers solve their business and IT challenges. The result has been continued growth for us and continued results for our customers, making us a leader in information management.
Our Growth & Evolution
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2001 – Groundswell is born, based upon our founders who recognized the opportunity to provide integration solutions for organizations facing obstacles because of disparate systems. Our integration focus is within EAI.
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2002–2004 – Integration is in the early phase of acceptance among organizations in Western Canada.
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2004 – Groundswell hires its first full-time employee.
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2005 – Anticipating customer adoption of integration, Groundswell transitions from a predominantly contractor-based model to an employee-based model.
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2005 – A leading oil & gas company selects Groundswell to run a managed service for integration. Our focus within integration is a large part of the selection criteria.
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2006 – Groundswell formalizes its managed service methodology and expands its scope.
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2007 – Groundswell expands to Toronto, Ontario.
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2008 – Groundswell establishes itself as a strong player in the BC marketplace, opening our Vancouver office.
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2008 – Groundswell rolls out a 24x7, multi-site managed service for information management administration.
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2009 – Groundswell opens a state-of-the-art Calgary-based development center.
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2010 – Groundswell develops a Business Intelligence focused managed service.
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2011 – Groundswell’s roots reach further into western Canada as we establish our Edmonton office.
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2011 – Groundswell is named a finalist for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year award based on our vision, leadership, financial success and social responsibility.
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June 2012 – Groundswell expands the footprint of its development center in downtown Calgary to support the expansion of its 24x7, multi-site managed service.
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July 2012 – Groundswell founders Morgan Arndt & Darren Sartison are named “Leaders of Tomorrow” in Business in Calgary magazine.
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July 2012 – Groundswell head office moves into our new home in Calgary, a state-of-the-art facility that will allow us room to continue growing.
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April 2013 – We are named a finalist for Alberta's Best Workplaces in Diversity by Alberta Venture Magazine. At this time, we are 165 employees strong, representing 24 countries from around the world!
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April 2013 – The Groundswell Architecture Community launches. The GAC facilitates regularly-scheduled meetings focused on a range of thought-evoking topics relevant to the architecture industry and our roles as technology leaders. The premise behind the community is simple: to create a professional network of those interested in, and influenced by, architecture best practices, trends and networking opportunities.
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September 2013 –Groundswell takes part in its first year of the Calgary Corporate Challenge Games, as both a participant and Corporate Sponsor.
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June 2014 – Canadian Business and PROFIT Magazine rank Groundswell Group Inc. No. 161 on the 26th annual PROFIT 500, the definitive ranking of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies. Groundswell made the 2014 PROFIT 500 list with five-year revenue growth of 371%.
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October 2014 – Groundswell's footprint continues to expand in the Lower Mainland as we celebrate our 1st Annual Vancouver Open House at our new office in the historic Marine Building in downtown Vancouver.
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December 2014 – Groundswell continues our year of growth and expansion by establishing operations in Seattle, Washington. We are thrilled that our first U.S. branch office is based in the beautiful Pacific Northwest (a close relative to our Vancouver office)! Leading Groundswell's charge south of the border is our very own John Krpan.
