Before It Had a Name: The History of Links and the Origin of the Links Way

Links Technology Solutions started in 1999 with three family members, an opportunity they could see, and a risk Brian Burke described in one word: everything.

At the time, businesses were preparing for Y2K. Companies were spending heavily on technical consultants to make sure their systems would keep running when the calendar changed to 2000. Brian saw the opportunity while his son, Jim, was working as a recruiter for a technology consulting company after leaving the Marine Corps.

Brian already owned Woodfield Business Products in Schaumburg. He considered adding technology consulting to that company, but his business partner was ready to slow down rather than start something new. Brian decided to create a separate business instead. He brought Jim and his son-in-law, Bob VanValkenburg, into it from the beginning.

When Brian's wife asked how much he was risking, he answered, "Everything." His confidence came from the people beside him. As Brian later said, "These two guys are as good as it gets."

Starting with people and relationships

Links began as a technology consulting and staffing company. A client could call with a need for a programmer or another technical professional, and Links would find the right person and employ that consultant while they worked with the client.

Brian, Jim, and Bob were building more than a recruiting business. They were learning how different organizations worked, what their people needed, and where technology could help. Their ability to listen, build relationships, and follow through became central to how the company grew.

Some consultants and client relationships have continued for nearly the entire life of the company. Links grew alongside those businesses, watching their teams, systems, and needs change over time.

New services grew from real conversations

Links did not begin with a fixed list of technology services. New capabilities developed as the founders encountered new problems in the business community.

One early help desk opportunity began when a friend told Brian that his company planned to hire one person to handle support. Brian saw another option. Links could provide broader coverage for a predictable rate without depending on one employee to be available all the time.

The same pattern led Links into website development, custom software, network support, and other technology work. The company listened to what an organization needed, determined what it could build or support, and took responsibility for putting it in place.

Building with the Schaumburg business community

Relationships also connected Links closely to Schaumburg. In 2001, Brian helped establish the Schaumburg Business Association with other local leaders. Links built and donated two of the association's early websites, helping the new organization communicate with its members when websites were becoming essential business tools.

That involvement was not separate from how Links did business. Brian believed people should get involved, give something back, and help others succeed. Jim describes that philosophy simply: relationships first.

Over the years, Links continued supporting local businesses and community organizations while expanding its work across Managed IT, Staffing, Software, and Web. The services changed. The relationship-first approach did not.

Before it had a name

Today, Links describes this longstanding approach as the Links Way:

Learn Your Business: Understand how the organization works, what it is trying to build, and where technology or talent is getting in the way.

Build the Plan: Recommend what fits the organization's goals, priorities, and budget instead of handing every client the same package.

Put It in Place: Implement the people, systems, security, software, or support the plan requires.

Stay Accountable: Keep supporting the relationship, adjust as needs change, and remain responsible for what happens next.

The four steps give the approach a clear structure, but the behaviors behind them are not new. They can be seen in the way Links entered new service areas, supported the SBA, and maintained relationships over decades.

Take care of the customer first

When Jim was asked what lesson from his father still guides him, his answer brought the history together.

When a customer called with a problem, Brian's first question was not whether the issue appeared in the contract. The priority was to understand the problem, help fix it, and work through the remaining details afterward.

"Take care of the customer first," Jim said. He believes that expectation has carried throughout the company.

That principle may be the simplest explanation of the Links Way. Listen first. Recommend what makes sense. Do the work. Stay with the customer.

Carrying the story forward

More than 25 years after starting Links, Brian, Jim, and Bob are still part of the company they built together. Jim's son, Brian, and Bob's daughter, Cameron, now represent the third generation working in the business.

The history of Links belongs to more than one family. It also belongs to the employees who helped build the company, the clients who trusted Links with their work, and the Schaumburg community that has been part of the story from the beginning.

Before it had a name, the Links Way was simply how three family members chose to build a business. Today, it continues through the people and relationships carrying Links forward.

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