Timothy W. Lawson Comprehensive Computer Solutions Inc. Christiansburg

2006 CFO of the Year -
Small Private Company
CCS-Inc. executive doesn't hesitate to become involved

by Robert Powell
for Virginia Business
July 2006

When CCS-Inc. needed to revamp its reception area, Tim Lawson suggested an innovative way to cut construction costs. “We’re holding a staff meeting when Tim says, ‘I’ll do this myself,’ ” says Marty Muscatello, CEO of the Christiansburg-based technology company.

Muscatello at first thought his chief financial officer was joking. But Lawson soon was leading a group of company employees in putting up sheetrock, laying tile and installing carpet.

People who work with Lawson say the story points out an important aspect of his character. He doesn’t sit on the sidelines. “When he sees a need, he gets involved,” says Doug Johnston, a director at the Roanoke accounting firm Brown, Edwards & Co. who has served as a consultant to CCS.

Lawson’s can-do attitude and recent accomplishments at CCS led to Virginia Business selecting him as CFO of the Year for private companies with fewer than 100 employees. A company employee since 1992, Lawson was instrumental in CCS turning a profit last year after losses in two previous years. The company, which has 65 employees, saw its revenue rise from $13.4 million in 2004 to $16.1 million in 2005. “He is an outstanding CFO, and he has a broad understanding of all facets of the business,” says David Perry, a partner with the law firm LeClair Ryan in Roanoke who has represented CCS for a number of years.

CCS-Inc. includes CCS-Industrial and two subsidiaries, Envirosealed and QualTrax Inc. CCS-Industrial provides industrial computer hardware plus integration and engineering services. Envirosealed produces computer and printer enclosures for use in harsh environments. QualTrax provides Web-based document management software.

Lawson arranged the sale of a small CCS division and the acquisition of Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Envirosealed. He also negotiated several financing deals that improved the company’s buying power. Finally, he orchestrated a plan for Muscatello and Lawson to buy the company from its original owners.

Observers say Envirosealed presents CCS with great growth opportunities. It not only provides the company with another product line but also ensures a steady supply of enclosures. Envirosealed recently shipped more units in one month than it did all of last year, according to Muscatello. “It’s a match made in heaven,” he says.

Lawson doesn’t confine his energies to the office. He led a campaign that raised $30,000 for a playground at his church. He also arranged a grant through Rotary International that led to the digging of a new well at a town in Belize. And recently he has been a leader in a community-wide effort to raise $100,000 for out-of-pocket medical expenses for a CCS employee whose 1-year-old child needs a liver transplant. “His skills go far beyond accounting and numbers,” says Perry.