 Hi, I'm Dean Perine, executive vice president of JSA and on behalf of 365 data center, I would like to welcome the man of the hour himself the CEO of 365 data centers, Mr Bob DeSantis Bob it is always a pleasure speaking with you thanks for taking the time to to chat with me today. Thanks Dean glad to be here I wish I wish we were down at our favorite setting in Miami this time year but we'll we'll do with this. You and me both Bob here in Chicago it's it's not quite Miami but anyway, so Bob, let's just go ahead and jump, jump in with the the most obvious question. 2020 was a, an uncertain year, to say the least for a lot of folks in the industry. And while there are a number of those uncertainties as the industry pivoted 365 seemingly you know weathered whether those pivots weathered the uncertainty of 2020 pretty well and really came out in great shape. There's a lot of stuff going on your your business your business strategy was affirmed in a lot of different ways in 2020, but why don't you tell, why don't you tell our viewers a little bit about the year that was 2020 for 365 data centers. Sure Dean happy to do that. You know, it clearly was a year of, you know, challenges and opportunities and I must say, you refer to it was probably the most transactional year. You know, for 365 since my partners and I acquired the platform business back in 2017 so maybe a rapid run through the year, you know at the end of January last year we acquired a premier data center asset in Comac Long Island. A 25,000 square foot six megawatt facility I must say it's probably the jewel of our portfolio today. You know very high density opportunity and you know we acquired that asset from RICO large international company out in Japan. Their subsidiary mind shift became a very long term substantial customer of 365 as part of that transaction so it was kind of a double, double win for us. You know in February late February I think we did a very nice job in retrospect, really nothing to compare it to is none of us have been through a pandemic before at least our life. And I think we got ahead of it in late February we put together a task force very focused on the fact that we are central services business set out for main objectives for the company, one was to keep our employees and our customers safe which I think you know was just prevalent among any business. You know secondly, you know to keep our supply chains, you know totally open, which we didn't know what impact it would be because you know we do order equipment we order circuits we do a lot of different things. You know thirdly to communicate with our customers, you know let them know we're ahead of this thing and you know they could come into our doubt centers if they need to but we put measures in place that enabled us to do a lot of remote hands for them on you know on a no charge basis to try to keep them safe and and of course to protect our financial resources and you know almost a year later now. You know I can say the team has done a very nice job good combination I think a good planning and having you know what I think is, you know the best in class, a group of employees in this industry who are very loyal. I kind of showed up at the data centers every day kept them open kept them running and knock on wood really haven't had any any major issues and I, you know so that that certainly has prevailed all throughout the year, not just in February and March but I think we did get ahead of it and I don't think we've lost to be so really proud of the team for that. You know throughout the pandemic we did quite a few things I think to fortify the business. And we did strategically slash slash operationally was we added a large upgrade to our power capacity in Tampa. And of course we're always doing upgrades that that that one was important, along with a very strategic partnership up in Buffalo, New York to for further enhance our position as the gateway into Canada through some subsea partner arrangements that terminate at our down center. And so you know we are, we are well known I think throughout the industry now being very network centric, you know very important regional hub operator for Chicago East but our tamper and Buffalo facilities, you know really drive that measure for us and you know those two types of I think you know put us far ahead as the leader in those two markets as the network centric hub. In late September early October we announced a major recapitalization of the business so I'd say on top of our day jobs. We were busy on the, I guess on the strategic front beyond just running an essential business during during a pandemic. We recapitalized the business. We, we welcomed stone core capital, which is a black rock backed firm that came in investment firm that came in and took a majority equity stake in 365. And that really positions us extremely well for further growth financially, and you know brings additional expertise to what I think was a very very strong, you know ownership group and board. And so we're very very pleased that some court has joined us and you know our future growth whether it continues to be organic combined with external, I think we're well positioned for and then if that wasn't enough. However, we closed a transaction by acquiring Atlantic Metro communications, which is, is a business that was a business now it's part of 365 that provided tailored very tailored co location network and cloud services for its customers which are now our customers. You know that was a very strategic transaction in very much in alignment with our M&A disciplines and strategies so that's, that's kind of a couple of minutes on the year, the year behind us. So that's all huh. It's fun. Last year I mentioned I saw the year being busy. But like I said it was probably, you know that's the fourth acquisition we closed since April of 2017 and done, but you know clearly the year was a very busy year like I said full challenges full of opportunities and you know really proud of the team that they are working on those opportunities while dealing with significant challenges. Outstanding Bob you know and congratulations again I wish I wish we were in Miami right now I could so I could shake your hand but yeah it you know I've been reading keeping up with 365. You know for the last 18 months and you know congratulations is truly in order, but let's go ahead and talk a little bit about Atlantic Metro. That's a significant acquisition. Why don't you tell, why don't you tell us a little bit more about why Atlantic Metro why it was such a good sound strategic decision for 365. Yeah, I'd be happy to do that. You know there were several reasons and I think as we've talked before you know having having an M&A discipline is important, particularly when it's focused around products and markets so I guess first and foremost that you know it just continues our strategy of being positioned in what I like to call the northeast quadrant of the United States I'm not talking about the northeast I'm talking about that, that quarter of the country that's in the northeast plus Tennessee plus Florida because we really really like the business and so what Atlantic Metro brought us was, you know, not only customers but facilities and network that reach Boston, New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, northern Virginia, and then, you know down in Miami in Florida so that fit very very well. It also immediately added more credence to our, you know, our network co-location brand just because of all the network connectivity and the additional data center that it brings. You know, I think it makes 365 a much more viable cloud operator. Cloud still is third in our portfolio of businesses between, you know, our services behind co-location and network, but really I think gives us a much more viable, you know, entry into the market on our cloud and virtual products. And, and, you know, with the broader set of infrastructure as a service offerings, it just makes us more competitive in every market. You know, beyond that it doubled our customer base, you know, we're now 1300 customers strong and that's significant for us. I was waiting for that. And, you know, that customer base was very similar in many ways, you know, the top 10 customers complimented very nicely. You know, the, the medium size customers and the small size customers, you know, were very complimentary, you know, with regard to our existing base. So it had an overall very, very positive impact over customer profile and that just allows for more cross-selling and upselling. So that was key. And then it immediately almost doubled, almost close to doubled our revenue base and significantly enhanced our EBITDA to a, to the next level really. And we were very pleased where we had grown that. And that just gives us much more financial flexibility that those of us who came up through the financial world understand is what you need for a very viable business. And then I think finally, I think, you know, when we first were looking at the business, I thought it would maybe put us among the few, but now I think it really makes us the leading, you know, fully hybrid infrastructure as a service business from Chicago East. So, you know, I think those are the strategic reasons for doing it. And, you know, we got a lot, we got a heavy lift in front of us, we got a good integration effort. You know, we're hoping to get that fully baked in by summer. And I think we will. Good team doing it. And, you know, so that was the rationale Dean behind that acquisition. Thank you very much for that Bob, but enough about the past. Let's go ahead and talk about the future. There were a lot of lessons to be learned in 2020. Why don't you tell us a little bit about the lessons that 365 data centers learn from from kind of going through what was an uncertain year in 2020 and how you're going to apply those for 2021 and then any any industry predictions you have for me I'd love to hear industry predictions. Alright, let me see, let me see if I can cover last year first or we start predicting so, you know, I think, you know, the lessons learned from my perspective or maybe reaffirmed is better, better wording for it. You know, I think proper preparation, I think in life anything you do right but certainly in business world just being properly prepared. And I think, you know, for businesses that have, you know, external growth aspirations as we do just sticking to an M&A discipline I think we talked about that a little bit last year, you know, this was an easy year to focus on opportunities if you had the time that, you know, you know, you know, you don't have the resources to do it but sticking to a discipline and M&A I think is a big lesson to, you know, to adhere to, and, you know, proper execution, you know, you got to execute when you have those opportunities and I think, you know, with that good preparation, execution, you know, I think even in the most challenging times like last year, you know, you can succeed and take advantage of opportunities which again I think we had a very successful year doing and hopefully another one coming up. You know, being in the data center business, i.e. associated with data storage and transport is the business to be in. I think it has been for, you know, a good part of the last decade but certainly the, you know, if there's any, you know, if there's any positive coming out of a pandemic, you know, certainly it's told us that if you can store data and transport it and have network and activity, you know, who knows where the world's going but it's certainly not going back to where it was. And so I think being at the right place right time in the right industry, you know, is very important. And I think we're in that industry. I think there's a lot of money in the sidelines and a lot of investors who want to invest more in the industry. And I think there are many that are Johnny come lately that are dying to get into it now, and to acquire assets that, you know, that are, you know, that can enable data storage and transport. And, and I think there's been some consolidation and I think there's fewer assets to go around today than there was four years ago than there was three years ago. And, and I think, you know, so my prediction is that you're going to see continued M&A I think you're going to see continued consolidation. I think we've already seen multiple start to move up. And I think my prediction is over the next 24 months I think we'll see multiples two to three turns higher over the next 24 months and they've been over the last 24 months and I think that's just a function of data storage, data transport assets, just becoming more and more valuable, and a lot more smart money chasing it. So that's my prediction Dean I hope I'm right so I love it I love it Bob. What I don't love is that we were doing this virtually how about 2022 at least I go to Miami we we get a good handshake and we can do this maybe on the beach. I'll certainly help you out Miami to us find the beach house that sounds that sounds great. Bob thanks again it's always a pleasure speaking with you I appreciate it. Now thanks Dean appreciate it.