By putting relationships ahead of transactions, this Indiana company is helping school districts across the country build stronger, more sustainable technology programs.
In Secured Tech's early days, customers did not always remember the company's name.
Instead, they would say, "Call Nate," or, "Reach out to Chris. He can help."
CEO and co-founder Nate Holmes and co-founder Chris Hawkins had built strong personal relationships with the school technology leaders they served. The challenge was turning that individual trust into a companywide culture—one that could grow without losing the qualities that made customers call in the first place.
Today, Secured Tech is based in Fortville and works exclusively with K–12 school districts. Its team helps schools manage technology throughout the device lifecycle, from deployment and protection to repairs, retirement and reinvestment.
The company now serves more than 500 districts and supports technology used by approximately 2.6 million students.
But for the people behind Secured Tech, the company's growth is not simply a story about devices.
It is a story about relationships.
A Culture Built by Showing Up
Secured Tech's relationship-first approach was influenced by lessons its founders learned long before the company existed.
Holmes recalls watching his father take the time to speak with everyone in a room. Even when Holmes was young and ready to leave, his father continued listening, asking questions and building connections.
Those experiences demonstrated that trust is rarely created through a single conversation. It develops when people show up consistently, communicate transparently and follow through on what they promise.
That principle became part of the way Secured Tech operates.
For school technology directors, consistency matters. They are responsible for keeping devices working, controlling costs, managing complicated logistics and ensuring technology remains available to teachers and students.
When budgets tighten or devices begin failing at unexpected rates, the consequences can reach far beyond the technology department.
Secured Tech aims to become the partner those leaders can call when a problem does not have an obvious solution.
Solving Problems Instead of Making Sales
School technology programs are rarely one-size-fits-all.
A district may need thousands of devices configured before the first day of school. It may be dealing with rising repair costs, attempting to protect aging equipment or preparing to retire an entire fleet without losing its remaining value.
Secured Tech supports those needs through services including device deployment, accessories, accidental damage protection, repairs, replacement parts, software and buyback programs.
Rather than treating each service as a separate transaction, the company evaluates how the different parts affect a district's overall technology plan.
That broader view sometimes means recommending an option that produces less immediate revenue for Secured Tech.
The company has helped districts identify opportunities to save hundreds of thousands of dollars, even when the most beneficial recommendation for the school was not the most profitable option for Secured Tech.
The objective is to help technology directors make responsible decisions, strengthen their programs and make the best possible use of limited education funding.
That philosophy is central to the company's identity. Secured Tech wants to reduce the pressure on district technology teams, help keep devices in students' hands and support the long-term advancement of technology in schools.
The priority is finding the right solution—not simply completing the next sale.
Giving Retired Devices a New Purpose
One of Secured Tech's most distinctive programs begins when school devices reach the end of their classroom use.
Through Community Buyback, districts can make retired iPads and MacBooks available for purchase by staff members, students and local families.
Secured Tech manages the process, including device preparation, the online storefront, payments, customer service, shipping and warranty support. Funds generated through the sale return to the district's technology budget.
The program gives districts an alternative to placing devices in storage or immediately sending them into a traditional bulk buyback. It also gives families an opportunity to purchase affordable technology for use at home.
Since 2022, more than 14,500 devices have been sold back into communities through the program.
For Secured Tech, Community Buyback represents the larger purpose behind device lifecycle management. A retired school device can still hold financial value for a district, practical value for a family and educational value for a student.
Building Technology Programs That Last
The results of a complete lifecycle approach can be significant.
At nearby Mt. Vernon Community School Corporation, rising device break rates and unpredictable expenses were placing increasing pressure on the district's one-to-one technology program.
By working with Secured Tech to develop a more sustainable, data-informed strategy, the district reported saving $750,000 while improving the program's performance over time.
The outcome did not come from one purchase or a single change. It came from evaluating the entire program and finding opportunities to make costs more predictable, extend device value and improve long-term planning.
That is the kind of partnership Secured Tech wants to replicate with districts across the country.
School systems in Indiana, Virginia, South Carolina and other states may be hundreds of miles apart, but their technology teams often face similar challenges.
A problem affecting a district in Indianapolis may also be affecting a school in another part of the country. By listening to technology leaders, asking difficult questions and sharing what has worked elsewhere, Secured Tech can help districts develop solutions informed by a broader community of problem-solvers.
Growing Without Losing What Matters
Secured Tech's expansion has been measured and intentional.
Growing too quickly could have created the risk of underdelivering for customers. Hiring also could not be based solely on technical ability or sales experience.
Every new team member would eventually be trusted with relationships the founders had spent years developing.
That created a high standard. Employees needed to demonstrate the same transparency, accessibility and concern for customers that shaped the company from the beginning.
With a larger team now in place, Secured Tech has expanded its partnerships nationally while working to preserve the personal approach customers experienced when the business was still known primarily through Nate and Chris.
Its leaders want district technology teams to know that, regardless of how large the company becomes, their concerns will be taken seriously. Customers should continue to feel comfortable picking up the phone, asking a question and bringing forward a difficult problem.
Many companies provide individual services similar to those offered by Secured Tech. The company believes its difference lies in how those services are delivered: through long-term partnerships, honest recommendations and a genuine investment in each district's success.
From Fortville, Secured Tech is demonstrating that an Indiana company can grow nationally without becoming transactional.
Its work may center on technology, but its foundation remains decidedly human: listen carefully, solve the right problem and support the people working every day to support students.