Putting the -30- in 30 years.

Akhia is officially 30 years old. And we've seen some things.

Did you know you can end a press release with the symbol -30-?

A lot of people choose to end with a ###, but it’s true—the -30- is old school and means ‘the end’ or ‘no more’. Its roots are in Western Union shorthand/code. A -30- meant you were done with whatever you had to say.

Akhia? We’re 30. But we still have a lot to say.

Most of it is what we’ve been saying since we opened our doors in Hudson, Ohio with the mission of ‘take care of the client, the rest will take care of itself’. Our mission has evolved but still rooted in taking care of our clients (today’s version is ‘to be our clients’ most valuable resource’).

I’ve never felt so confident in that approach. Mainly because it’s driven by people who choose to buy into that mission. Described by me as having the ‘give a shit factor’, if you don’t believe in what it is we do and who we do it for, I’m not sure you’ll like working here.

I’m bullish on that thinking. Because for 30 years, we’ve seen some things. The list is long: Y2K, hanging chads, 9/11, the .com boom and bust, roughly 10 military conflicts, a housing crisis, smart phones and devices, social media’s arrival, our first black president, a Cavs championship, Covid, Donald Trump, AI…cola wars I can’t take it anymore!

I’ve been here for 25 of those years. What’s weird is, when I think back over those years, the things on that list aren’t what really pop into my head at first.

What does is one of the most cliché things anyone can say—the people. ALL the people.

The people who believed in us and the ones who took care of those believers. The people who gave us a shot. The people we partnered with to make the impossible happen. Everyone from the UPS guy who knew everyone’s name, to the fire inspector who stopped by to check our smoke detectors. The owner of the local shops we bought lunch from every Tuesday to the Door Dash dude who brought us Jimmy Johns every day.

This is where most anniversary blogs share what’s next. But if you’re waiting for me to outline the ways we will grow and navigate what’s ahead of us (and trust me, the next three years will put the last 30 to shame in the ‘seen some stuff’ category) – well, this isn’t that blog. And honestly, I’m not sure I could come up with anything better than what got us here. (In case you forgot already – it’s the people.)

And isn’t it ironic? That despite never-before-seen technology, the most impressive tech stacks and fastest innovation we’ve ever seen, the topic everyone wants to talk about the most is…people. Us. The humans! Human…skills, touch, thinking, in the loop – however you want to sum it up, turns out it’s STILL about the people.

It always has been. It always will be.

So, in a way, the -30- is a great way to sum up our 30. It’s over. Complete. That story has been told. And just like every year, we put the last one behind us, prepared to embrace the opportunities of the one ahead of us. All driven by the people, here, living a mission that will never fade.

And that’s...a....