Pinnacle IT began in 1992 as a part-time, home-based operation called The Computer Hut. More than 30 years later, we’ve grown into the largest family-owned managed service provider in Arkansas. Led by CEO Chris Bates, our team of nearly 50 professionals works across six offices, supporting organizations ranging from 20-person firms to multi-site operations spanning state lines.

Through that growth, one thing hasn’t changed: we remain family-owned, independent, and accountable to our clients—not a private equity roll-up. In an industry experiencing rapid consolidation, that independence gives us the freedom to focus on long-term partnerships rather than short-term quarterly results. It’s a difference our clients recognize, with 95% of our managed clients continue working with us beyond their initial contract.

What We Believe In

• Honesty, even when it’s uncomfortable. We’re quick to deliver bad news — you can’t budget for a problem you don’t know about.
• Proactive beats reactive. We earn a flat rate for keeping things running, which means our incentives point at prevention.
• What’s important to you is important to us. Client goals drive the roadmap — not the products we’d like to sell that quarter.
• Show up. Six offices exist so that hands arrive same-day, statewide, without trip charges.

Pinnacle IT Company Timeline

• 1992 — Business established: part-time, home-based, one person
• 2001 — First office opens in Little Rock as The Computer Hut
• 2006 — Second office opens in Lowell, serving Northwest Arkansas
• 2016 — Transoft joins the family, establishing our Texarkana office
• 2019 — iTechs of Jonesboro joins, creating our Northeast Arkansas presence
• 2020 — Pinnacle IT Services of Fort Smith joins, opening the River Valley office
• 2023 — The Computer Hut becomes Pinnacle IT
• 2024 — Hot Springs office opens: six locations total
• Today — Nearly 50 professionals, a dedicated security practice, technicians in Dallas and Springfield, and 5,000+ endpoints defended around the clock

Our Culture

At Pinnacle IT, we take pride in being a resource to our clients and the people of Arkansas, not just a vendor with a logo. We open our doors for community cookouts and lunch-and-learns. We present security best practices to chambers, municipal associations, and business groups across the state—usually for free—because an Arkansas where fewer organizations fall victim to cyberattacks is good for everyone, including us.

That same mindset shapes how we operate internally. We invest in our people through training, build careers measured in long tenures, and maintain a deep bench so that no client ever has to depend on a single “hero.” Being family-owned isn’t just about who sits around the table—it’s reflected in how it feels to work here and, just as importantly, how it feels to work with us.