Charlotte, N.C. – Queen Associates – an integrated business, engineering and technology consulting firm – is expanding its services to help its clients and consultants weather the economic downturn.
The Charlotte-based company is adding a technology development division, SouthTunnel, headed by Jack Sutherland, named as Director of Development.SouthTunnel specializes in web development and implementation of leading technologies.
Queen Associates also is adding as its Director of Marketing & Business Strategy, Lynn Roberson, a former BellSouth and AT&T executive with over 25 years' experience in marketing and business and relationship development.
The recent additions grow the firm's capacity, said Frances Queen, Queen Associates' founder and CEO."We could not have seen our 1,010 percent growth over five years without understanding our clients' needs and ensuring we have the professionals to anticipate and help them meet those challenges."
Similarly, during the dot-com bust, Queen Associates broadened its client base into smaller and medium-sized clients and expanded into project management. The new software division will add even more depth to the company's offerings, as will continued expansion of its value-added services.
"SouthTunnel will provide Queen Associates' clients reliable solutions and the latest technologies, while maintaining integrity and stability in our projects," Sutherland said. "In addition to custom development, we also offer a single-source approach we call Software as a Service, or SaaS. We reduce internal operating costs for customers by reducing development time." Sutherland has designed and developed award winning web and software applications for a variety of clients within financial, retail, engineering and non-profit industries.
Roberson has held leadership roles at BellSouth and AT&T in business, government and stakeholder relations, as well as conducting diversity leadership training.Most recently, she was Executive Director of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Office of Strategic Partnerships.
"Having worked for a corporation and a large government enterprise that have undergone enormous competitive challenges, I expect to bring relevant experience to help Queen Associates' clients," she said. Roberson in 2009 will become chairman of Charlotte WISE (Women in Information Science and Engineering.) This program of the North Carolina Technology Association seeks to educate, engage and empower women in the fields of technology
Queen Associates' service offerings include information technology and engineering staffing, project and management consultancy, technology development, customized coaching and mentoring, benchmarking, training and leadership development.The company is a certified 100 percent Women Business Enterprise (WBE).
Recently, Queen Associates ranked 10th on a list of 100 companies recognized by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City and Inc. Magazine as among the fastest growing businesses in inner cities nationwide
Queen Associates was named a Business Leader Media Top 100 NC Small Business in 2008.Frances Queen was named a winner of the national 2008 Enterprising Women Award, created by Enterprising Women magazine and was named 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year, Business Leader Media.
