Hartford Business Journal

20 HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | AUGUST 11, 2025 FOCUS | PRIVATELY- HELD COMPANIES Kevin Barros, president and CEO of The Computer Co., outside the Glastonbury office building he recently purchased, at 20 Western Blvd., for his expanding 45-person IT support company. HBJ Photo | Michael Puffer Making Waves Once warned off a computer career, Barros now leads a growing IT firm set to open a new, expanded HQ in Glastonbury and digital communications company. Executives from both companies were principals of the LLC that sold the property to Barros. Barros said he hopes to collaborate with his new tenants, leveraging their strengths to grow. The new location will feature a far larger conference room, allowing The Computer Co. to host bigger client events on topics like cybersecurity, network compliance and more. Such events are a key part of the company's growth strategy. The Glastonbury building originally housed offices for American Eagle Financial Credit Union, and was very well maintained, said John Cafasso, a principal with real estate services firm Colliers who marketed the prop- erty and secured the buyer. Colliers Senior Associate Christian Dietz also worked on the deal. The property was on the market for about a year, Cafasso said. "Glastonbury is a very strong and affluent suburb," Cafasso said. "It's sought out for medium-sized compa- nies that want their own buildings." How it started Barros is the son of Portuguese immigrants. He grew up mostly in East Hartford in a working-class household. His first car was a hand-me-down Nissan. Barros shies away from the trap- pings of success. He'd prefer a Honda, but drives a Mercedes to convey an air of business savvy to his clients. By Michael Puffer mpuffer@hartfordbusiness.com H igh school guidance coun- selors and others warned Kevin Barros against pursuing a career in information technology, worried those jobs would be outsourced overseas. Luckily, Barros ignored that advice. More than 20 years later, he's now investing millions of dollars to reno- vate a newly purchased Glastonbury office building for his expanding IT and cybersecurity firm, The Computer Co. Barros has always been a natural in the field. As a teenager, he learned by taking apart discarded computers his father brought home from his manufacturing job. In high school, Barros joined the computer club and sensed that cheap overseas labor could never replace the value of a local computer services provider. His instincts were right. In July, Barros, now 38, paid nearly $2.8 million for a 29,761-square-foot Glastonbury office building at 20 Western Blvd. He plans to spend up to $3 million more on renovations, furnish- ings and equipment before moving his 45-employee company there next year. "You can always automate certain tasks of IT, but the best companies realize there is more to it than that," Barros said. "It is about partnerships with the other company. They need a technical partner to look out for their security compliance and information. When it comes to everyday stuff, they want that personal touch of someone they know they can talk to who cares and is listening." More space, growth The Computer Co. is currently based in a 5,500-square-foot leased office in Cromwell, where staff share desks. The new 15,000-square-foot space on the second floor of the Glastonbury building offers room to grow. The company expects to reach 60 employees in less than three years, Barros said. "We have a lot of techs out on the road going to client sites," he said. "In all honesty, we could have gotten away with a smaller space. But it goes to our philosophy, you want to treat everybody with respect. They should have a place to call home in the office, regardless of whether you go to that home once a week or once a month. The first floor will be leased to GreatBlue, a market research firm, and ZAG Interactive, a web development AT A GLANCE The Computer Co. Industry: IT Services & Cybersecurity Top Executive: Kevin Barros, President & CEO HQ: 15 Commerce Drive, Crom- well (current); 20 Western Blvd., Glastonbury (future) Employees: 45 Website: computercompany.net Contact: 860-635-0500

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