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Written by: Abigail Guevara, Senior Content Writer – Freelance
Louis Plummer is an Information Technology (IT) professional who transformed his passion for problem-solving into his own successful IT consulting business—United Computers—serving commercial businesses across Durham Region.
“Around 20 years ago, the company I was working for restructured and I took the opportunity to launch my own business,” says Louis, reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey. “I knew IT would always be in demand, so I set up in my own home and began offering my IT consulting services.”
For 10 years, Louis diligently built, grew and served his clientele—primarily focusing on services related to computer network infrastructure, repairs, and server set up. Despite the initial challenges of starting his own business, his commitment to quality service and delivering solutions for clients’ IT needs propelled his business forward.
Success is best when it’s shared
Plummer’s consistent effort paid off. Lenovo, a global technology powerhouse and leading computer and accessories vendor, unexpectedly approached Louis to form a partnership with him.
“Lenovo reaching out to me was a game-changer,” says Louis. “I’m still not sure how they found out about me and my business, and usually, it’s the smaller businesses who try to partner with them. But, they invited me to partner with them to serve my clients, and it increased my business.”
Becoming a partner with Lenovo not only expanded his product offerings, but also allowed Louis to broaden his client base, as he now had access to all of Lenovo’s products and their valuable support resources.
“Soon after, I made the move from my home operations and invested in my first storefront in Pickering, where I could have the space my business needed to sell and repair a greater volume of products. And clients could come into my store at a convenient time for them.”
The storefront business was doing very well, and Louis had established himself and had become well-connected in the Durham IT scene. It was one of those connections that led him to yet another move and his present location for the past three years now, where he’s expanding his corporate clients and public customer base.
Keeping pace in the fast-changing world of IT
As the IT landscape evolves, Louis stays ahead of the curve by attending industry tradeshows and continuously updating his skills through Lenovo's educational resources.
He acknowledges that the industry is continuing to expand with new developments but acknowledges that with those advancements also come bigger challenges. One of the challenges he mentions is the need for better cybersecurity, as it continues to be a persistent concern.
"Theft and data breaches are major threats in today's digital age," Louis cautions. "Implementing robust security measures is paramount to safeguarding businesses from potential losses."
He describes an incident where a supplier and their client’s email trail was intercepted by cybercriminals. The cybercriminals posed as the supplier and changed banking information in the email correspondence, hoping the client would pay their bill worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to the fraudulent bank account. The attempt failed, but only because the client called the supplier to confirm the change in banking details, and the supplier made them aware there was no change. They realized someone had hacked into their emails.
A trusted face and business in the community
There are many IT service providers to choose from, but Louis has found clients and customers come to United Computers and stay.
"What sets us apart is our commitment to personal interaction," Louis emphasized. "Clients appreciate the face-to-face approach we provide and appreciate having a local provider they can trust."
Customers invite Louis and staff to their place of business for sit-down meetings to chat and ask questions. They know that if they call the business, they can speak directly with the owner. That personalized service makes a difference to local businesses.
In addition to serving businesses from Durham to Scarborough, Louis is dedicated to fostering local talent by providing opportunities for students to gain practical experience in the IT field and has done so for the last 10 years.
"Supporting and engaging with the community has always been my priority," he confirms. “I also like the talent pool available to United Computers courtesy of Durham College and Ontario Tech University.”
Looking ahead, Louis envisions expanding his business possibly into other provinces, while remaining rooted in Durham's welcoming community.
“I have great staff,” says Louis. “IT consulting is all about problem-solving, we’re problem-solvers by nature, and as long as there are problems to solve, we’ll be right here.”
Innovation and Inclusivity: Stories from Durham Region's Black Business Leaders, Entrepreneurs, and Professionals is a series of stories about thriving Black professionals choosing to do business in Durham Region.
