History
MSpace History – A Success Story
MSpace was founded in April 2002 by business partners, Ryan Heining, CEO and President, and Joel Peterson, Chairman and Co-Founder. Together, Ryan, formerly of Acoustic Communication System (ACS), and Joel, President/Owner of i:Space, shared an ambition to be the top A/V integrator in Minneapolis.
Ryan and Joel began their small business venture in 2000 and in 2002, the MSpace team moved downtown into the heart of downtown Minneapolis, made accessibility to MSpace’s A/V solution expertise effortless, providing convenience for many business leaders by allowing MSpace to be in close proximity to their key clients.
Prior to its acquisition by ClearOne Communications of Utah in June 2003, Ryan’s previous company, ACS, was one of the premier A/V integration companies in the Midwest. In the fall of 2003, MSpace took on the opportunity to acquire the U.S. Business Services and Integration division of ClearOne Communications. This division, formerly known as ACS, was a full service integration company purchased by ClearOne in 2002. The core technical team from the ACS division, including the Engineers, Project Management, Help Desk, Programmers, Administration and Sales, is now apart of the MSpace team, creating a very experienced group of individuals. Ryan and the MSpace team have achieved remarkable success by consistently seeking out opportunities and working together to create a progressive company culture.
Over the course of MSpace’s existence, a group of exceptionally skilled AV professionals came together, leveraging all aspects of the business to bring their clients the best in A/V technology and support. In 2004-2011, MSpace was rated in the Top A/V Integrators in Minneapolis, and was awarded the honor of “Great Places to Work” in 2005 and 2006; both honors were presented by the Minneapolis | St. Paul Business Journal.
In an effort to keep pace with the ever-changing marketplace of A/V technology, MSpace outgrew their office suite downtown, and moved their operations office to Minnetonka, Minnesota as of July 2005.
MSpace wanted to continue their strong company growth by expanding their West Coast presence and clientele. In November 2006, MSpace established an office location in San Francisco and in January 2008 MSpace launched a Chicago office.
On June 19th 2009, President Ryan Heining announced from the floor of InfoComm09 that MSpace acquired the Illinois-based audiovisual company, Fox River Graphics (FRG). This acquisition doubled the size of MSpace and added offices in Carpentersville, IL and Phoenix, AZ. Twenty-five years of experience from FRG’s skilled team with their vendor resources made them a perfect addition to the MSpace team.
MSpace has continually reached new goals. In the three years since the acquisition of FRG, MSpace was ranked in the Inc. 5000 for the second consecutive year and in the Fast 50 for the third consecutive year.
Along with the success MSpace has achieved in rankings, they also formed a strategic partnership with TUOHY furniture and launched the M3 Interconnective Design Experience in 2011. The M3 demonstrates superior quality technology and design elements that give customers an unparalleled meeting experience.
In November 2011, MSpace expanded for the third time and moved to a new state-of-the-art facility located in Minnetonka, Minnesota. The facility functions as a showroom by highlighting the top technology in the industry along with the M Series.
MSpace Timeline
1987
Acoustic Communication Systems (ACS) was founded by Rob Sheeley. Core technologies were Paging and Soundmasking.
1991
ACS changes core technology focus to the Meeting Space and video conferencing (PictureTel and CLI).
1996
ACS awarded Minnesota State contract for video conferencing and deploys systems in over 140 out-state Minnesota schools as part of the TAG (Telecommunication Access Grant) project.
1998
ACS became the first Polycom video conferencing dealer in Minneapolis/St. Paul market. Increased demand for video communication and Polycom ease of use and competitive price points drove ACS revenue above $9 million.
1999
ACS was aquired by VideoLabs and the two organizations went under the corporate name E. Mergent, Inc (EMRT on the NASDAQ). Combined organization grew to over $22 million in revenue. Professional Services division was launched to provide nationwide telecommunication companies with video conferencing, AV integration and help desk support.
April, 2002
MSpace Inc. was incorporated under the name Conference Technologies Inc. founded by Joel Peterson of Workplace-2000 and Ryan Heining, formerly of ACS.
May, 2002
EMRT|ACS was acquired by ClearOne Communications, Inc. a leading manufacturer in the audio conferencing and AV industries, establishing the ClearOne Business Services Division in Minneapolis as their North American integration and services division.
January, 2004
MSpace Inc. purchased the ClearOne Business Services Division ClearOne Communications and re-establishes core engineering, management, project management and help desk teams.
July, 2005
As MSpace reached their full capacity in their downtown Minneapolis office suite, they realized that they needed more space for their growing engineering, management and programming staff. MSpace expanded their operational office to Minnetonka, yet continued to maintain their downtown office as a showroom for clients.
November, 2006
MSpace launched its West Coast operations in San Francisco, California.
January, 2008
MSpace opened an office in Chicago, Illinois.
June, 2009
MSpace acquired Illinois based Fox River Graphics. The acquisition was part of an overall growth strategy to extend MSpace’s geographical reach and achieve market-share goals. By Acquiring Fox River Graphics, MSpace built a platform to increase its presence as a premier national player in the AV industry.
2011
MSpace formed a strategic partnership with TUOHY Furniture company and launched the M3 Interconnective Design Experience.
November, 2011
MSpace moved to a state-of-the-art facility in Minnetonka, MN. The facility serves as a showroom to the top technology in the industry as well as the M Series.
