Nerds Xpress Offers Wraparound IT Services Aimed Toward Small Businesses

Dustin Barlow always had a knack for seeing the world through the lens of technology. At age 13, he'd take computers apart and put them back together again. Eventually, he sold those refurbished machines for a profit. And by 23, he'd started Nerds Xpress, a Detroit-based IT company launched in 2011. The name encompasses the computer geek connection (nerds) with efficiency (express).

Barlow, a Lawrence Technological University grad in computer engineering, set his sights on commercial businesses – specifically, small businesses. "We provide wraparound services," he says. "Meaning you're going to (get) a computer network engineer, a phone technician, a data cabling technician, you're going to get somebody that can handle security. We are that outsourced IT firm for local businesses."

That local connection keeps Barlow plugged into the Detroit's ecosystem – he's also an active committee member of the Detroit Latin school and volunteers for summer programs, sponsoring kids. "We're helping local small businesses grow by bringing in different technologies that they can use as a platform to grow their business and increase their bottom line," Barlow says. "That's what we're known to do. We try to insert ourselves as a team member to the organization. We have that intimate relationship with our customers."

Nerds Xpress

440 Burroughs St., Suite 607, Detroit