Cultivating a Stronger IT Backbone at More Farm Stores
Client
Regional agricultural supply store with five locations
Challenge
Rapid growth required a new, cohesive approach to technology
Solution
Comprehensive managed services for IT, cybersecurity, hardware, and more
Results
Increased efficiency and operational uniformity through cohesive managed services
About More Farm Stores
One-stop shop for farm equipment in the Midwest
More Farm Stores is a family-owned business specializing in farm equipment sales, rentals, and service. From Kubota to Toro and Stihl, the company offers robust product lines from top manufacturers. More Farm Stores has been in business since 1913 and is now in the fourth generation of family ownership. With five locations across Indiana and Ohio, More Farm Stores keeps the heartland running with essential equipment for farmers.
Jake Hoag has served as operations manager at More Farm Stores since 2023. The company has grown quickly, adding two locations in the last two years. Jake’s job is to make sure policies and processes are running efficiently and consistently across the board.
The Challenge
Rapid growth called for a comprehensive approach to IT
With the addition of those two new locations, More Farm Stores found their IT complexity growing right alongside their business. They needed to find economies of scale while aligning all their locations around the same processes and systems.
That’s a tough challenge to begin with, but it got harder. More Farm Stores didn’t have dedicated IT resources on staff. The company had some resident experts in various disciplines, but these team members had day-to-day responsibilities beyond IT, and they weren’t equipped to provide the level of expertise and availability that the company needed. They knew just enough to be dangerous—but they weren’t an internal IT team.
Prior to partnering with Corsica Technologies, More Farm Stores worked with a different MSP (managed IT service provider). This company helped get the network set up and offered some managed services. However, they weren’t equipped to provide the day-to-day attention and break/fix assistance that an in-house IT team would provide, and they weren’t the right partner to help Jake consolidate systems and processes across all five locations. They also didn’t bring C-level strategic consulting to the table.
Between resident experts with little bandwidth and their current MSP, More Farm Stores was getting by for now—but Jake needed to consolidate and streamline for greater efficiency and simplicity. He had several specific pain points.
- The acquisition of a new business introduced non-integrated systems that required a plan for integration or replacement. The current MSP wasn’t up to the task.
- More Farm Stores didn’t have a one-stop-shop for all things technology. Their MSP couldn’t help with phones or copiers but would refer them to a third party, which added to the complexity of managing their IT environment.
- Anything “out of scope” with their current MSP would generate unpredictable bills, making it tough to stick to a budget.
- More Farm Stores’ approach to IT management was working, but it wasn’t as efficient or reliable as it could be.
Ultimately, More Farm Stores was still taking a piecemeal approach to technology, yet their recent growth required a cohesive, strategic approach.
The Hunt for a Solution
Plowing through IT Challenges
Jake took these pain points and used them to create a vision of his ideal IT partner. He did his research, made a list of possible MSPs, and started interviewing them. With each MSP, he focused the interview around his pain points.
This is a fantastic approach. The best MSPs understand that customer pain is the most important thing they can align with. Jake took charge of this process and forced every MSP to put More Farm Stores first rather than just trying to get a sale.
Jake found a wide range of offerings—but they weren’t all created equal.
“What attracted me to Corsica the most was the predictable billing. Whether it was break/fix issues or projects, I knew we wouldn’t have capital expenditures. We could actually get things done that we had band-aided.”
—Jake Hoag, Operations Manager | More Farm Stores
We asked Jake what advice he had for other organizations that don’t have an IT provider today as they evaluate their options. Jake offered a great perspective.
“We identified our pain points first. What are we trying to solve? There are a lot of options out there. For us, we wanted to have a go-to partner. Corsica checked all those boxes. Having a helpdesk—that was huge. Having a partner that could sit down and brainstorm—that was huge. Having a 3-year roadmap—that was huge. Corsica checked all those boxes. I would start by identifying your pain points and what you’re looking for.”
The Solution:
Corsica Complete Service Bundle
Jake chose to partner with Corsica Technologies to bring his IT practice under one roof. Specifically, Jake chose our Corsica Complete package, which includes unlimited service consumption for ONE predictable monthly price, covering:
- Managed IT – Proactive monitoring and support for daily operations.
- Managed Cybersecurity – Enhanced security measures to protect data and operations.
- Hardware as a Service (HaaS) – Scalable, up-to-date equipment without capital expenditures.
- Network Refresh Projects – Standardizing infrastructure across all locations.
- C-Level Consulting (vCIO/vCISO) – Strategic IT planning and roadmap development.
- Digital Transformation Services – Data integration to improve operational efficiency.
- And much more
“From the very beginning, Corsica had a strong desire to be a true partner in this process. I saw it all the way from the helpdesk to the 3-year plan we’re developing to keep our technology up to par—not only today, but in the future.”
—Jake Hoag, Operations Manager
Jake was particularly drawn to the all-inclusive nature of Corsica’s service model:
“The all-inclusive nature was a big part of it. We knew what we would pay, and it included everything moving forward—whether a brainstorming session with a Corsica expert, developing a 3-year roadmap, or planning a hardware refresh—it was all included. Those were the things that drove us to choose Corsica.”
“Other providers had bits and pieces, but Corsica had the entire package. You checked all our boxes. That’s why we chose your team.”
The Results:
Early Benefits and Future Growth
Although still in the early stages of the partnership, More Farm Stores is already seeing significant improvements:
- Weekly Check-ins & Proactive Support – Ensuring IT goals stay on track.
- Improved Communication & Follow-through – Enhancing responsiveness and issue resolution.
- Strategic Planning for Future Needs – Tackling high-priority issues while planning for long-term improvements.
As More Farm Stores continues to expand, Corsica Technologies remains a key partner in ensuring their IT infrastructure supports growth rather than hindering it.
In addition, Corsica and More Farm Stores have collaborated on a plan for addressing the company’s technical debt. The team has stuck a pin in some items, while they’ve decided others are a high priority. Corsica has jumped on these and started to make progress right out of the gate.
“The communication has surpassed my expectations. We have a lot of balls in the air, and the team does a great job touching on each of them every week. The follow-through has always been there.”
—Jake Hoag, operations manager
By integrating data systems, streamlining IT operations, and providing proactive strategic planning, Corsica Technologies has helped More Farm Stores plant the seeds for long-term success.
Looking Ahead:
More Growth, More Efficiency, More Farm Stores
When it comes to technology, Jake has big plans for More Farm Stores. He put it this way: “As a small business, we don’t have unlimited employees. We have to do more with less. Anything we can do from a technological standpoint to streamline those efficiencies—to get more with less—is huge for us.”
In terms of future priorities, Jake is eyeing data integration. Most MSPs can’t help with this challenge, but Corsica offers data integration services alongside standard MSP offerings like IT and cybersecurity. It’s just another way that Corsica offered the whole picture, covering all of Jake’s needs.
“How can we get our different software programs to talk to each other? There’s a lot of potential here. I’m looking forward to seeing how data integration can help us do more with less.”
With IT headaches resolved, More Farm Stores can now focus on what they do best—keeping farmers equipped with the tools they need. As the business continues to grow, Corsica will be there to ensure its IT ecosystem remains strong, secure, and scalable, assisting with everything from day-to-day IT operations to big-picture strategy. Now that More Farm Stores has service coverage for data integration, IT, cybersecurity, hardware, digital transformation, and consulting, they’re in a great place to continue their growth trajectory. We’re thrilled to partner with Jake and his team on this journey.
Ready to solve your challenges?
Fill out the form, and a specialist will contact you within 1 business day to discuss your needs.
We look forward to connecting!
- 30+ years in business
- 300+ certifications
- 1,000+ clients
Cybersecurity | Managed IT | Digital Transformation
