Kevin Valadez, President of Enterhost, was chosen among the 2012 class of the Fort Worth Business Press Forty Under Forty Award. This is a tremendous honor! Every year, The Fort Worth Business Press hosts an event saluting 40 area individuals under the age of 40 who are making their mark with professional success and community involvement.

Winners were announced in the April 16 edition of the Business press but you can view the online version here. The 2012 class is quite impressive. You have lawyers, business owners, investment bankers, executives and even the General Manager for the Texas Rangers, Jon Daniels (also known as the youngest GM in MLB history. He was only 28 when he was hired in 2005).

Getting selected for this award is such an honor. To even be considered you must demonstrate how you have established and grown local businesses through innovation, dedication, and volunteerism. To give you an overview of our co-president and his accomplishments, here is just a slimmed down version of the written application:

Professional accomplishments and/or noted credentials:

In 2000 Kevin Valadez and his business partner, Ben Tiblets, formed Enterhost, a web hosting solutions and Microsoft® Windows® application specialist, headquarted in downtown Fort Worth. Kevin and Ben recognized the incredible growth opportunity for Windows in the web hosting market and set out to revolutionize the industry.

Over the first few years, Enterhost quickly gained momentum and the owners saw they were in need of a space to house racks of servers for their growing clientele. In 2006, the opportunity to move into their dream location finally came about. So they moved into the 20,000 square foot datacenter in downtown Fort Worth’s Burnett Plaza. Twelve years later, Enterhost still remains privately held and profitable, managing thousands of clients from around the country and various parts of the world.

But true entrepreneurs are rarely satisfied with launching just one successful company, so in 2008, Kevin and Ben created Consuro, a premier managed technology services company serving businesses from start-ups to Fortune 100 companies. Consuro sets itself apart from other MSPs by being one of the few in the industry to have a hosting division. Consuro is able to also assist with the hosting needs of their clients who would have previously hosted with another company. We’ve now gained their business and trust under both brands.

Enterhost was the first and still remains the largest hosting company in Fort Worth. Bringing a service offering like hosting to this area is very important to businesses who want to keep their data close to home. However, the clientele is not restricted to just DFW or Texas. Enterhost’s services are used by companies across the world.

Kevin is the type of professional who seeks out new opportunities. Initially, he goes against the norm but then he quickly becomes the trendsetter. Kevin’s business success has been noticed amongst his peers. Nine Lives Media Inc.’s fourth annual MSPmentor 250, a global report that identifies the world’s leading managed service executives, entrepreneurs, experts, coaches and community leaders, named Kevin one of their top leaders in 2011. This recognition as one of the top experts in the field validates Consuro’s goal of becoming the leading IT provider in the Texas regions we serve. Also, on March 28, 2012, Kevin was notified that Consuro was selected as a finalist for the Fort Worth Chamber’s Vision 20/20 Award, signifying that Consuro is a great place to work for Young Professionals in Fort Worth. It’s any business owner’s dream that their employees would be just as passionate about their business as they are.

Describe the Nominee’s Leadership Qualities.

Kevin is “leader” personified, running two successful businesses and keeping a keen eye on what’s next. Together with his business partner Ben Tiblets, Kevin has poured his heart and soul into growing both companies from scratch. And for anyone who has ever owned a business, you know that you risk everything. Your time, your family, your assets… your peace of mind. But if you ever sit down with Kevin you will be quick to realize that he is one of the kindest, most professional, intelligent and insightful people you will ever meet. Never have I met a business owner, let alone someone who runs two companies, who not only acts like they have it all together but actually DOES have it all together. The risks he has taken to get here – and will continue to take – are worth every step. With a leader like Kevin helping steer the ship, it’s no wonder both brands have experienced such tremendous growth.

What is the nominee’s career background?

Upon graduation from Angelo State University, Kevin accepted a position in San Antonio at Capital Group as a systems analyst. Kevin and Ben had attended college together and always talked about one day opening up their own business. What started as an after-hours and weekends gig became two multi-million dollar companies. Enterhost was founded in 2000 and Consuro was founded in 2008.

Community Involvement:

Sometimes the most generous of gifts are the ones given when no one is looking, and these are the moments that truly reveal motive and character. One recent example involved a lower income family who was stricken with the sudden death of their father and were desperately struggling to make ends meet. Kevin quickly jumped into action, anonymously arranging for gifts and monetary donations to be made to the surviving wife and children to help them overcome this tragedy. With Kevin’s ongoing help, this family is taking the necessary steps to getting back on their feet financially so that they can begin to heal emotionally.

Kevin and his wife Carrie have a strong place in their hearts for local causes that directly impact the community in which they live, and especially those that benefit children. For years they have supported Community Storehouse, a crisis relief agency dedicated to serving the children in our local community. Community Storehouse supplies children and their families with food, clothing and financial aid, providing help for today and hope for tomorrow.

This person deserves to be honored because:

Consuro’s innovative business strategies not only create jobs, but secure them. Consuro assists IT managers, office managers, and even CEOs by enabling them to focus on their larger business operations instead of worrying about every technological problem that arises. And in such uncertain economic times, you cannot put a price tag on job security and business growth.

With multiple offices across Texas and more opening in 2012, no matter where the business expands to, our headquarters and heart will always be in Fort Worth. Kevin believes in this community; the value of his loyal employees, the generosity of the local clients that helped us grow and the uniqueness of this great city. With Kevin’s drive, savvy business expertise, entrepreneurial spirit and strong family values, he is the perfect candidate for 40 Under 40.

In between starting and running two extremely successful companies, Kevin also started a beautiful family. He and his wife Carrie have two amazing and courageous children, Landry (6) and Lyla (2).

This year’s event will be held at the Fort Worth Club on May 23. Purchase your tickets today online for the big celebration!

-Courtney Summers, Marketing Director