9. Systems Maintenance Services Merges With Curvature

Head count: 600 employees

Annual sales: $288 million

Purchase price: Not disclosed

Date of announcement: Jan. 18

Systems Maintenance Services (SMS) and Curvature announced plans to merge in a deal that creates a $500 million market leader in third-party maintenance services.

The transaction creates an IT asset lifecycle services powerhouse with 2,200 employees and a broad range of third-party data center services and hardware offerings that include server, storage and networking.

John Wozniak, CEO of Charlotte, N.C.-based SMS, No. 85 on the 2017 CRN Solution Provider 500, will serve as CEO of the combined company, while Mike Sheldon, CEO of Santa Barbara, Calif.-based Curvature, also No. 85 on the CRN SP 500, will serve as president and chief commercial officer.

SMS | Curvature will be more than four times larger than its closest competitor, Cleveland-based Park Place Technologies, No. 208 on the CRN SP 500.