How Todd Justice Of Atlantic Technology Services Turned Heartbreak And Hardship Into A Trailblazing IT Company
FEATURE : TODD JUSTICE
Rising From Personal Loss To Business Success :
How Todd Justice Of Atlantic Technology Services Turned Heartbreak And Hardship Into A Trailblazing IT Company
Imagine being handed a $ 9,000 check while being told , “ When we call , you answer ,” and that ’ s how you started your business . Well , for Todd Justice , this is precisely what happened . Yet Todd ’ s story isn ’ t nearly that simple . Between the immense loss of both his parents and several other family members to cancer contrasted with the joyous birth of his first child within the same period , a drained , disheartened Todd quit his job in IT . This act opened the door for him to come back full force in a new form as Atlantic Technology Services ( ATS ), a homegrown MSP providing innovative technology solutions to businesses throughout the mid-Atlantic region and beyond .
TECH-LOVING TODD
Growing up , Todd was the youngest of three boys . “ Admittedly , I was unplanned ,” Todd begins . “ My brothers are 10 and 7 years older , and my parents were in their 40s when I was born .” However , this also meant that as his brothers went off to work and to college , he got uninterrupted time to play with all the outdated tech equipment his father brought home from work . “ My dad was an accountant for Showell Farms ( which became part of Perdue Farms in 1995 ), and when the company decided to introduce computers , the accounting department was tasked with figuring it out ,” recalls Todd . “ They sent him to classes , and he would regularly bring home old computers whenever they updated their systems . I would spend hours tearing them apart and putting them all back together .” Todd adds , “ I feel like I might have undiagnosed ADHD . School was
such a struggle ! Staying focused ? Forget it ! But pulling apart radios , computers , and VCRs ? I was hooked .”
Unfortunately , Todd ’ s world shifted at 16 when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer . “ It threw me for a total loop . It really shook me ,” he says . While she thankfully went into remission , this experience left a lasting impact . Reflecting on his last few years of schooling after his mother ’ s diagnosis , he mentions , “ I think the only reason I graduated was because of the automotive vocational program . I wasn ’ t really a fan of school , but working on cars always felt like my escape from reality . It was where I could truly lose myself and focus . And the vocational education gave me a wealth of mechanical and electrical skills I use every day .”
BACK IN CLASS
Upon graduating , Todd worked at a local automotive dealership but soon realized he didn ’ t want to pursue a mechanics career . “ At this point ,” says Todd , “ I ’ m 18 , no desire to go to college , and no idea what to do next — much to my parents ' dismay .” After trying various jobs with various employers — from an auto parts store to a golf course — Todd started working with one of his brothers at a commercial mechanical contractor . “ My brother suggested I take some CAD classes because I had a knack for reading blueprints ,” Todd states . He took the advice and became certified before working for an architecture and engineering firm . “ Ironically , everybody in that job suggested I take computer classes because I was really good with them ,” Todd adds . After
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