Caldecott PartnersLet’s talk
Company · acquired by Cobalt Service Partners

i-Tech Security and Network Solutions

Founded 2015 in Clemmons, NC by Eric Tutton and Regina Bagby · 1 branch (serving NC, SC, VA) · sold to Cobalt, May 2024

A husband-and-wife security integrator that sold in its ninth year

Page as of Sept 28, 2026The sale ↓

Legacy

The founder’s story · from the public record

Eric Tutton and Regina Bagby started i-Tech Security and Network Solutions in Clemmons, on the edge of Winston-Salem, in 2015. Eric's wife Michelle joined as a partner the following year. The idea, in Eric's words, was to fill a gap: customers wanted a single provider for a wide range of security and technology services, from cameras and access control to cabling and IT support, instead of a different vendor for each. Cobalt company page: Founding Story · Cobalt: Cobalt Acquires i-Tech (Jun 5, 2024)

The company says it recognised early that most security providers were poor at communication and accountability during design and installation, and slow when customers needed service. Its answer was same-day resolution of critical issues and proactive project communication, offered to healthcare, manufacturing, higher-education, distribution and public-safety customers across North Carolina and into Virginia and South Carolina. Published case studies include integrated video and access control for UNC REX Healthcare, a city-wide camera network with solar trailers for the Salisbury Police Department, and ground-up security design for manufacturers. i-Tech: About

Eric described the company's fast early traction as bringing 'both opportunities and challenges,' and the daily demands as 'invigorating and rewarding.' He also said working closely with family had strengthened the family's bond, and that the team and customer base were a source of pride. By the time of the sale i-Tech was writing about cloud access control, facial recognition and electrified locks on its blog and had grown to a team it now counts at more than 30. Cobalt company page: Founding Story · i-Tech: Blog · i-Tech: About

The Tuttons gave three reasons for choosing Cobalt: its financial strength, its ability to invest in i-Tech's growth, and the cultural fit between the two teams, which Eric said shared 'a commitment to innovation, excellence, and employee well-being.' The deal closed in May 2024, Cobalt's sixth acquisition, and was announced on June 5. Both founders were to stay, Eric on sales and business development and Michelle on finance and accounting, while Chris Nowlin, a Marine veteran with 15 years in security and public safety, became CEO at close. By 2025 the company's rebuilt About page listed a leadership team under Nowlin that no longer included either Tutton. Cobalt company page: Why Cobalt? · Cobalt: Cobalt Acquires i-Tech (Jun 5, 2024) · i-Tech: About (leadership team)

The team

The people who built it

i-Tech's About page lists 14 people with headshots in three groups: leadership (CEO Chris Nowlin, Director of Accounting Trey Brown, Director of Operations TJ Bell, Installation Manager Kevin Shough, Service Coordinator Mike Cleveland), sales and engineering (Scott Eisenbraun, Carson Castelli, Eric Muhlitner, David Castelli) and project management (Ronnie Church, Mike Jeris, Caleb Nutter, Rodney 'Swole' Burchette, Bobby Holland). Neither founder appears.

i-Tech fleet (Cobalt company page)
i-Tech fleet (Cobalt company page) · source
Announcement graphic (Cobalt news)
Announcement graphic (Cobalt news) · source
Chris Nowlin, CEO (i-Tech About page)
Chris Nowlin, CEO (i-Tech About page) · source
TJ Bell, Director of Operations (i-Tech About page)
TJ Bell, Director of Operations (i-Tech About page) · source
Kevin Shough, Installation Manager (i-Tech About page)
Kevin Shough, Installation Manager (i-Tech About page) · source
Family in the business (as the company itself lists them)
  • Eric Tutton · Co-founder (2015) · source
  • Michelle Tutton · Partner from 2016; Eric's wife; finance and accounting · source

In the community

What they gave back · on the record
  • i-Tech built a city-wide camera network for the Salisbury, NC Police Department, integrating campus and multifamily cameras and solar-powered trailers into one system, and deployed a PTZ camera in what it calls a high-crime neighborhood there. i-Tech: About (case studies and Our Work)
  • The company's senior sales engineer lists community volunteering among his interests; the fleet and safety coordinator runs safety training and is a notary. i-Tech: About (team bios)
  • i-Tech publishes explainer posts for business owners on facial recognition, cloud access control, electrified locks and when to hire a security consultant (2020-2021). i-Tech: Blog

In their words

4 public statements by the founder and team
  • 2024
    Founding Story / Why Cobalt? (i-Tech Security page) essay
    Eric Tutton · cobaltsp.com (Our Companies) · Eric Tutton's own account: founding with Regina Bagby in 2015, Michelle joining in 2016, the single-solution mission, the joy of working with family, and three reasons for choosing Cobalt (financial strength, investment in growth, cultural fit).
  • 2024-06-05
    Cobalt Acquires i-Tech Security and Network Solutions press
    Eric Tutton; Anthony Gonzalez · cobaltsp.com (News & Insights) · Buyer's announcement quoting Eric Tutton on the founding gap and the cultural fit, Anthony Gonzalez on i-Tech taking care of customers and people, and stating both Tuttons would remain (sales; finance) with Chris Nowlin as CEO.
  • 2024-06
    Eric Tutton's Post: 'i-Tech Security and Network Solutions is...' post
    Eric Tutton · LinkedIn (public search result; not opened) · A public search result shows a post by Eric Tutton about i-Tech dated to the announcement period; content not read.
  • 2025
    About i-Tech: Our Customer Guarantee and Leadership Team post
    Chris Nowlin and team · i-techsns.com · Company page under CEO Chris Nowlin: 30+ staff in three states, the communication-and-accountability pitch, four case studies, and 14 named staff with bios.

Founder Q&A

In their own words · by email · published with permission

We’d like Eric Tutton to tell this story in their own words. Ran this company, or built it alongside the founder? Ten questions by email, answered at your pace, published only with your OK.

The sale

As both sides told it · on the public record
Announced Jun 5, 2024 By Cobalt (own newsroom) Deal #6 for Cobalt Service Partners Founder role after close not stated Cobalt, Jun 5, 2024
What Cobalt Service Partners said

Cobalt announced i-Tech on June 5, 2024 as its sixth acquisition, describing a diverse commercial security customer base in North Carolina and surrounding states. Anthony Gonzalez said i-Tech 'takes care of its customers and its people.' Both founders would remain, and Chris Nowlin, 'a seasoned leader in the security, technology, and public safety markets,' assumed the CEO role at close. Cobalt's company page dates the acquisition to May 2024.

Announcement
What the founder said

Eric Tutton said the Tuttons chose Cobalt because its financial strength gave them comfort the business was in good hands, its investment would let i-Tech expand capabilities and explore new opportunities, and the two teams shared a commitment to innovation, excellence and employee well-being. He called it 'a hard, but fun journey' and said they were excited to take the next step with Cobalt.

Source

Terms on the record: Nothing public. No price, structure, rollover or earn-out disclosed. Advisors: None named.

What happened after

Public signals since the sale · dated
  • 2024-05
    Close (Cobalt company page: 'Acquisition Date: May 2024'); announced June 5, 2024. Chris Nowlin installed as CEO at close, the first Cobalt deal with a CEO named on day one. source
  • 2025-01 to 2025-02
    Website rebuilt with a new logo (uploads Jan 2025) and staff headshots (Feb 2025); the About page lists a leadership team of five under Nowlin, including a Director of Accounting, and no Tutton or Bagby. Further partner logos and headshots added through mid-2026. source
  • 2025
    Career page shows one open role, Installation Technician in Clemmons, filed under the category 'Partner Company' (Cobalt's term for its operating companies). Site footer does not mention Cobalt. source
  • 2026-09-28
    Cobalt's team page continues to list Chris Nowlin as 'CEO, i-Tech Security and Network Solutions'. source

Then and now

Founder and leadership
Eric Tutton
Co-founder (2015); sales and business development
Now Announced as remaining on sales and business development (Jun 2024); absent from the company's 2025-26 leadership, sales and project-management listings, which name four sales staff and none of the founders. No departure announced. source
Michelle Tutton
Partner from 2016; finance and accounting
Now Announced as remaining on finance and accounting (Jun 2024); the company's About page now lists Trey Brown as Director of Accounting and does not list her. No departure announced. source
Regina Bagby
Co-founder (2015)
Now Not mentioned in the announcement or on the company site source
Chris Nowlin
CEO, installed by Cobalt at close (May 2024)
Stayed CEO, i-Tech (company About page; Cobalt team page, Sept 2026) source
TJ Bell
Service manager (per a directory snippet)
Stayed Director of Operations (company About page) source
Trey Brown
Now Director of Accounting (headshot uploaded Mar 2026) source

Companies Cobalt Service Partners also bought

20 on the public record

All 21 transactions →

Sources

Everything above, dated Sept 28, 2026

Unverified at publish: Whether Eric and Michelle Tutton are still with i-Tech: the June 2024 announcement said they would stay, but the company's own 2025-26 About page lists 14 staff and neither of them, and a directory snippet still styles Michelle 'Managing Partner'; filed as unknown, not left. Regina Bagby's role after 2016. No founder photo on any permitted source. Employee count at close (the 30+ figure is current). Licence numbers (site links to service-area pages instead). Google and BBB ratings (not fetchable).