Brookfield Wisconsin-based QPS Employment Group, a staffing and recruiting firm, has acquired Next level Technician (NLT), a recruiting firm based in Fort Mill, South Carolina. NLT specializes in staffing for low-voltage, structured cabling, and network infrastructure roles with technical contractors in 15 states.
NLT will be operating as a division of QPS Employment Group. The company was acquired from their owner, Michael Cole.
The associate employees of NLT who are currently working on assignment at companies across the nation will be retained and moved to QPS’ payroll. The company’s name will be retained, and Michael Cole will remain with the business, as the NLT division’s president reporting to Ryan Festerling, president and CEO of QPS.
“The data center boom driven by AI, cloud computing and hyperscale builds has created a specialized need in the technical and skilled workforce. QPS saw an opportunity to diversify our portfolio and expand our service offerings,” states Ryan Festerling. “This approach allows NLT to accelerate growth and drive additional offerings to their customers while utilizing the infrastructure of QPS and maintaining a sharp focus on its specialized market. Michael has built an incredible team and we are excited to join forces.”
NLT president Michael Cole says, “Since founding the company in 2018, we’ve built a strong foundation for growth. Partnering with QPS Employment Group allows us to scale our impact—delivering more value to our clients while opening additional opportunities for candidates. Our team is excited to take this next step together.”
NLT is committed to developing the next generation of skilled technical talent by connecting individuals to meaningful careers. As a certified BICSI training provider, NLT goes beyond placement by offering installer, technician, copper installation, and fiber optic training—helping build a stronger, more qualified workforce to meet the growing demands of the network infrastructure and data center industries.
With this new acquisition, QPS has also joined the Wisconsin Data Center Coalition, which helps data center development connect with businesses and expertise.
This is QPS’ 11th acquisition since 2006 and fourth in the past five years. Terms of the transaction are not disclosed.
