Q&A with David Ingram of Capital TechSearch

In 2001, after years of working for other companies, David Ingram took the plunge and started his own business — Capital TechSearch, which began as an executive search firm. After a 2003 move to Henrico County, the firm added IT staffing to its services. “We are focused on delivering quantifiable results to our clients and a positive return on investment,” he explains.

In 2008, Capital TechSearch made the Inc. 5000 list of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. Ingram, 39, has 50 employees at the Paragon Place headquarters or working for clients in or around Henrico County.

He’s writing a book, 15 Bedtime Stories that Keep Entrepreneurs Awake at Night, for 2009 publication.

Q: Why did you start your firm in 2001?

A: I was living in Washington, D.C., and had spent the previous 15 years in sales management. I had moved with my wife six times in seven years, trying to make my way up the corporate ladder.

The most important thing in working for any company back then was the quality of the people I brought into the organization, and my performance was based upon the people I brought in. So I got really good at recruiting and hiring good people. But I was tired of building organizations for other people.

Q: Why did you move to Henrico?

A: We had 2 ½-year-old twin boys, and we were thinking about living in the suburbs. My wife said, ‘Since all you need is an airport and a telephone, why don’t we go all the way and move back to Richmond?’ We’d lived here for a year right after we were married. We wanted a place to raise our kids, so we moved down here.

Once we landed in Henrico County, my thought was, ‘Well, if I’m going to build a business, I want to build it and pay business taxes where I live.’ The tax rate is very reasonable, it’s an awesome place to live, the schools are wonderful, there’s just a phenomenal reputation in the area. So by locating in Henrico County, I could pay taxes to the people who supported my livelihood.

Q: How did you broaden the scope of your business?

A: I brought in Jeff Jefferson, an absolute superstar who helped me create what the business is today, an IT staffing and executive search business.