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Our History

Technology is ever changing. For 50 years SPR has evolved to remain relevant and provide the services that our clients need most.

  • A middle aged man sitting at a desk talking on the phone.
  • The original SPR logo
  • A man in a shirt and tie working on a terminal.
  • A black background with green and pink dots.
  • Epcot's epcot's epcot's epcot's epcot's.
  • A woman holding up a smiling emoticon in the park.
  • Two men in suits and ties shaking hands.
  • Headshot of a middle aged man wearing a suit and tie.
  • Macintosh PowerBook, featuring a built-in trackball, internal floppy drive, and palm rests
  • The definition of LeapNet
  • A coffee mug with the 1997 SPR logo on it.
  • a modem
  • Close up of a Sony Play Station
  • A flash drive plugged into a laptop's USB port.
  • A blue room
  • Low angle view of hands typing on a laptop with a rack of mugs in the background.
  • white frame hanging on a brick wall
  • A screenshot of the phoenix web browser.
  • A jar of money sitting on a wooden table.
  • An old tv sitting on a wooden floor.
  • A blue teddy bear standing on a rock.
  • A 3d model of a green and blue molecule.
  • A person holding up a phone with a pokemon map on it.
  • A large crowd of people gathered inside an ornate theater with blue and gold balconies.
  • Two people sit in a studio with photography equipment. Large text overlay reads "50 DPR Anniversary.
  • Three men standing together, smiling, with their arms around each other's shoulders in front of a quilted background.
  • The Beginning
  • Project Work Begins
  • Growing Leadership
  • SPR Goes Public
  • Leapnet Merger
  • Back to Basics
  • Anticipation of Growth
  • New Heights
  • 50 YEARS
  • 1973
  • 1982
  • 1991
  • 1997
  • 2000
  • 2002
  • 2009
  • 2016
  • 2023

  • SPR is Founded

    SPR – which stands for Systems and Programming Resources – is founded as a staffing company by Gene Figliulo, father of current CEO, Rob Figliulo. Today, Gene would be regarded as a successful CIO, but in 1973 he’s called an EDP (Electronic Data Processing) Manager. He coined the phrase for SPR: “EDP, Experienced Dependable Professionals, when you need them most.”

    Also in 1973

    • Motorola makes the first cell phone call
    • Sears Tower construction is completed
    • The entire internet consists of 45 computers and can be mapped out on a napkin

  • Project Work Begins

    In addition to staffing, SPR starts project work. A few years later, Gene begins to step away from the business, preparing for a shift in leadership. SPR also invests in software engineering at this time.

    Also in 1982

    • Quantum dots are discovered
    • Disney opens its futuristic park, EPCOT
    • A computer scientist suggests the first smiley in an email 🙂

  • SPR's New Leadership

    Gene retires, and his son Rob becomes the next President of SPR. SPR specializes in re-engineering software as a mainframe-focused IT services organization. The company also develops an affordable fix for the Y2K challenge, helping launch the company as an expert in large, complex systems.

    Also in 1991

    • The World Wide Web is launched to the public
    • Apple introduces the Macintosh PowerBook, featuring a built-in trackball, internal floppy drive, and palm rests.

  • SPR Goes Public

    SPR goes public under Rob Figliulo’s leadership, trading on the NASDAQ as SPRI. The company is the largest provider of mainframe software services in the Midwest and attracts new leadership that is still in the ranks today.

    Also in 1997

    • 30% of U.S. households are using AOL’s dial up internet
    • Deep Blue, an IBM supercomputer, beats a human in chess for the first time
    • Titanic is a box office hit

  • SPR Merges with Leapnet

    With Y2K now a thing of the past, SPR merges with Leapnet (NASDAQ: LEAP), a Chicago-based ad agency. SPR transitions into what is now modern web applications.

    Also in 2000

    • Sony releases PlayStation 2
    • USB flash drives enter the market

  • Back to Basics

    The company goes private to get back to basics. SPR hones its focus on strategic IT staffing and project work, and starts implementing new methods such as Agile.

    Also in 2002

    • The Roomba® vacuum is released
    • LinkedIn.com domain goes online
    • Mozilla releases the first version of Phoenix, which eventually becomes the browser Firefox

  • SPR Anticipates Growth

    SPR perseveres through revenue threats caused by the economic recession. Dedicated to its employees, SPR does not resort to layoffs – rather, the company begins hiring again to meet anticipated growth in 2010.

    Also in 2009

    • Kickstarter begins
    • Analog TV signal is phased out
    • Minecraft game is released

  • Reaching New Heights

    At an all-time high for revenue growth, SPR makes significant impacts in client work with 87% of our clients with us for more than than 5 years.

    Also in 2016

    • Nobel Prize winners build mini machines out of molecules
    • Pokémon GO is released and downloaded 10 million+ times within a week
    • Microsoft releases a developer version of HoloLens

  • SPR Celebrates 50 Years

    SPR turned 50 years old, making it the most enduring professional services firm of its kind. The company celebrated its legacy by honoring past and present employees as well as hosting special events throughout the year.

    Also in 2023

    • AI continues to overtake the tech world with significant advancements in natural language processing, deep learning and AI ethics.
    • Both Google and Microsoft start the process of replacing passwords with passkeys, which utilize biometrics (facial/print recognition) and PIN numbers.
    • IKEA builds up its fleet of warehouse drones, assisting workers with inventory and other tasks.