We offer our clients the capabilities and expertise of high-caliber consultants – individuals who hold client service as their highest calling, who are leaders in their fields, and who pursue lifelong personal and professional development. At Technology Navigators, intellectual capital is a distinctive core asset that greatly enhances the value of our service.

Technology Navigators serves small and medium sized business clients as a trusted, impartial and long-term partner. We make the client’s mission our mission; Working with clients, rather than for them. We are focused on our client’s success, and not so much on our own.

We are committed to positively impact our clients by delivering practical, effective and efficient benefits with significant value for our clients, and for our communities where we live.

We conduct business with uncompromising integrity, adhering to the highest ethical standards as individuals and as a company. We are guided by our 4 core values: Integrity, Client Service, Vision and Innovation. These are more than just words; they are the cornerstones of our business.

Technology Navigators will be the best technology consulting firm in Southern Minnesota, as measured by our clients' success, the excellence of our staff, and through the partnerships developed.

To partner with companies in achieving their objectives through the intelligent use of information technology, by making their mission our mission, and delivering positive results that last.

The ability to help our clients succeed requires an in-depth understanding of their business and business issues. That’s what we do – we learn about their company; we assess the current technology to determine if it supports their business objectives; we can develop a strategic technology plan that will support their strategic business objectives. And we implement the RIGHT solution for their business.

Technology Navigators, Inc has been at the forefront of strategic technology planning, service and consulting in Southern Minnesota for 10+ years, and has a proven reputation for providing innovative, strategic Information Technology (IT) solutions and services for small and medium-sized business clients.

Technology Navigators offers a broad range of services including: Technology assessments; selection and prioritizing projects; strategic business and technology planning; project implementation planning; Vendor selection; Hardware/Software research and purchasing; Networking: LAN, WAN, WLAN; e-Commerce Solutions; Off-site Back-up solutions; Review and/or design Disaster Recovery Plans; Industrial Controls & Automation; SCADA Development; High Performance Custom built PCs; Server Configuration and installation; security camera installation…..

Technology Navigators is a Microsoft Certified Partner and the premiere Microsoft Small Business Specialist in Southern Minnesota. 

Technology Navigators people stand apart.  Focused on creating tangible, lasting value in everything they do, our staff is guided by a simple premise:  help clients succeed. 

Technology Navigators attracts, retains, and develops the best and brightest individuals, those with brains and heart, experience and enthusiasm.  And yet, beyond those common qualities, there is no typical Technology Navigator employee. 

Our staff boasts a variety of backgrounds, interests, and perspectives which creates a vibrant environment that inspires innovation.

Our team currently consists of five full-time employees as well as several contract employees that are brought in as needed.  Our full-time staff includes three network engineers with certifications in various fields. All of them are Microsoft Certified Professionals.  Two of them are also Microsoft Certified Small Business Specialists. 

Meet our staff

Dave Purscell, President
Tim Thorn, Vice President
Jim Hawkinson, Sales Manager
Faizal Lakha, Business Technology Consultant
Kim Purscell, Office Administrator

Our Founder, Dave Purscell served as Director of IT (Information Technology) at Apogee Enterprises, an $850M international corporation with design, manufacturing, and construction operations on five continents. It was Dave’s responsibility to create a comprehensive IT strategy and improve technical synergy between the IT departments of the various business units.

While there, he noticed that many small businesses were also struggling with IT and finding it hard to compete with larger corporations. In order to fill this void Dave founded Technology Navigators in 1998 to provide “Technology Guidance for Your Business Strategy”. He took the principals of Strategic Technology Planning and applied them to small businesses – helping them lay out a plan that combined both business and IT best practices. This allowed his clients to establish a stronger foundation through the intelligent implementation of technology.

Integrity – Service – Vision – Innovation

From the very beginning these were the cornerstones of Technology Navigators. Our goal was, and remains, a simple one: To consistently exceed the expectations of our customers. Solving problems today but with a constant view to the future, we provide a refreshingly different perspective to many problems. We work with small businesses of all sizes, helping each to be more efficient and effective.

The early 2000’s saw a dramatic growth in e-Commerce. We helped several companies launch their first webstore. One company, Cumberland’s Northwest Trappers Supply, received their first international order in less then a week. Thanks, in part, to Technology Navigators, they now boast sales on six continents and are one of the largest distributors of trapping supplies in the USA, Australia, and Europe.

For the next several years, Technology Navigators continued to grow, focusing predominantly on consulting. While the primary focus was working with SMB (Small/Medium Businesses) in Southeast MN, including the communities of Northfield, Faribault, Waseca, Owatonna, Claremont, Rochester and Mankato. Those early years also included projects on both coasts, with a wide variety of customers including several Fortune 1000 companies.

In 2005, Technology Navigators welcomed Tim Thorn. Tim came from a business management background with a strong emphasis on IT and IT support. He also brought experience in electrical engineering, industrial controls and automation, and project management. In 2006 Technology Navigators incorporated, and Tim became a full partner in the company.

2006 was a very busy year. Early in the year we added reseller agreements with several key vendors. These were quality products we were already recommending; but we discovered that we could leverage our business relationship with vendors to provide our clients with better pricing than if they bought direct from the manufacturer. Our volume was so significant that in a 30-day period we went from opening a reseller account with Dell to achieving their highest level of reseller status. Similar relationships were developed with Microsoft, HP, Intel, Netgear, and a variety of other manufacturers. These relationships continue to give us extensive access to the resources we need in order to provide the best solutions for our clients.

We quickly outgrew our small office, so in mid 2006 we moved to 143 West Broadway in downtown Owatonna, MN. With over 2,000 sq ft of showroom, meeting space, offices, and a sizable workshop, we finally had the room to grow. And grow we did.

During the fall of 2006, we achieved Microsoft Certified Partner status and became the only Microsoft Small Business Specialist in all of Southern Minnesota, as well as becoming a Microsoft Certified Partner. These certifications were not just pretty plaques to hang on the wall. They showed that we have consistently demonstrated the knowledge, experience and expertise to meet the unique challenges of small and medium sized businesses. And those certifications remain current today.

In 2007, we saw continued growth. We added an Office Manager to handle the administration and scheduling. Shortly after, we added a Senior Systems Engineer. With years of technical support experience at an international software company, he brought structured support methodologies and headed our growing team of support technicians.

To further extend our reach, we brought on several contract employees and numerous outside business partners in which we could tap as necessary to meet the specific needs of our clients.

In January 2009, we began a new phase in our growth and development with several exciting and dramatic changes: On January 1st, we moved the company to a new location - at Merchant Square, 345 Florence Avenue, Suite 101, Owatonna. It’s a professional office suite which has greatly improved our visibility and functionality within our custom built and designed office space. Plans for Merchant Square include adding 4 more identical buildings around the expansive grounds. We’re rather excited to be called the anchor business for this business complex.

Second, we added Kim Purscell, an experienced executive director to become our new office administrator. Kim oversees all the administrative functions, scheduling, project management, inside sales, and office operations.

Our third change was to acquire Morris Information Services (MIS) of Austin, MN, which expanded our service area and opening the doors in the underserved markets of Austin and Albert Lea, MN.

Plus, we added our first sales manager – Jim Hawkinson. Jim is a highly respected and successful sales professional. Described as a great listener, a creative problem solver, and one who always put the clients best interests above all else, we knew Jim was the only man for the job.

In July 2009, we added Faizal Lakha as a Business Technology Consultant.

Despite the many changes to the company, our mission endures - To partner with companies and individuals in achieving their objectives through the intelligent use of information technology. We make their mission our mission; working with clients, rather than for them. We are focused on our client’s success, and not so much on our own.

At Technology Navigators, we firmly believe that businesses of all size benefit from a standards-based / best practices approach to technology. Regardless of their size, number of employees, or revenue; businesses deserve to have a reliable, solid network infrastructure that provides them with the tools they need to be successful.

Technology Navigators strongly believes in giving back to our community through active support of area charities, churches as well as involvement in area Chambers of Commerce.  As a company, and through our staff, we have donated time, energy, discounted services and financial resources to worthy charitable and civic organizations whose values are consistent with our own, including: the Steele County Chapter of the American Red Cross, Steele-Waseca Habitat for Humanity, American Cancer Society, March of Dimes, MS Society, AOPA Airport Support Network, Steele County SkyWarn, Amateur Radio service, serving in and supporting several area churches, as well as several mission organizations.  We highly encourage each and every staff member to go on short-term missions trips to share love of Christ with the world.

Technology Navigators staff share our faith, hope and Christian values through Christ-like living and caring actions. The company as a whole is committed to uphold the Statement of Faith as stated below:

• We believe the Bible to be the inspired, the only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
• We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit.
• We believe in the deity of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
• We believe that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, regeneration of the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential.
• We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit by whose indwelling the Christian is enabled to live a godly life.
• We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost; they that are saved unto the resurrection of life and they that are lost unto the resurrection of damnation.
• We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.