The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Employment screening firm acquired
The Mentor company BackTrack is moving forward in 2018 under new ownership.
BackTrack, an employment screening firm founded in 1993, has been acquired by General Information Services of Chapin, South Carolina.
General Information Services, a provider of background screening and talent acquisition services, completed its acquisition of BackTrack earlier this month. Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
“BackTrack presents a compelling opportunity for GIS to further diversify our clients in key industries and geographies,” Guy Abramo, CEO of GIS, stated in a news release. “Their product offerings, operations and exceptional customer service make BackTrack an ideal match for GIS.”
In particular, the news release stated that “BackTrack’s deep experience with clients in the health care and manufacturing industries will allow GIS to quickly expand its capabilities and customer relationships in these sectors.” BackTrack also is described in the news release as “serving a diversified, nationwide customer base.”
Bob Gandee, president and founder of BackTrack, said in the same news release that the firm’s clients will be in good hands under GIS, which marked its 50th anniversary in 2016.
“GIS will bring its deep experience spanning over half a century in this space to create innovative solutions for our customers, while providing the same industry-leading quality and customer enthusiasm our clients have grown to expect,” Gandee said.
Gandee and his wife, Linda, started BackTrack on their kitchen table after working in the executive search business for more than 25 years. Today, the business is located at 8850 Tyler Blvd.
As part of the acquisition, Bob and Linda Gandee and some stakeholders who worked at the Mentor firm did not remain with BackTrack going forward, said John T. Lawrence, GIS vice president of marketing and business development.
“All other BackTrack employees are now GIS employees,” he said in an emailed statement. However, Lawrence did not state the current number of employees at the Mentor location, which was requested in a list of emailed questions.
General Information Services employs more than 1,200 people nationwide, Lawrence said. In addition to its Chapin, South Carolina, headquarters and the new Mentor office, other GIS operation centers are located in Columbia, South Carolina, and Dallas, Texas.