Originally posted on Authority Magazine

As a part of our series about cutting-edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewing Doug Recker.

Mr. Recker is a highly respected veteran in the telecommunications industry with over 25 years of experience. He excels in managing, designing, implementing, and deploying Edge Data Center Infrastructure across the US for client sites. Mr. Recker founded Edge Presence in 2017, which was later acquired by Ubiquity in 2023. Prior to that, he established Colo5 Data Centers LLC, which was acquired by Cologix, Inc. in 2014.

Throughout his career, he has earned numerous accolades, including the Northeast Florida’s Ultimate CEO Award by the Jacksonville Business Journal. He has been recognized as the owner of one of Florida’s fastest-growing companies and one of Inc. Magazine’s 500 fastest-growing companies nationwide. In 2013, he was honored with the Best CEO award by BizTech Innovations, and in 2010, he was listed in Jacksonville’s Business Journal Top 40 under 40.

Mr. Recker is a highly regarded thought leader in the industry, often speaking at key industry events, where he shares his vision, industry knowledge, and overall market strategy. Before venturing into the Data Center industry, Mr. Recker served as a telecommunications expert in the fiber/telecom industry, leading and supporting sales teams. His experience in the United States Marine Corps has instilled in him the value of team development and leadership, qualities that have greatly contributed to his successful career.

Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Following my active duty in the Marine Corps, I launched my career by selling long-distance and fiber optic lines for various companies’ door to door. This experience honed my sales skills, teaching me the importance of perseverance and the ability to adapt quickly. I thrived in this role and gained valuable insights into the backbone fiber industry, ultimately paving the way for my transition into the dynamic field of data centers.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your career?

Many years ago, we had a brick-and-mortar data center across the street from an adult day care center, which was one of the best in the city. One day, we received a call that a young man was missing and were asked to keep our eyes open. We had cameras everywhere, so we immediately started reviewing the recordings. Some of our technicians began searching the campus, and the day care staff joined in to help. Suddenly, the security guard came out, gesturing for everyone to look in a particular direction. They had found the young man wedged behind our fence, scared and trapped near the busy highway behind our building. We were overjoyed to have been able to help the young man, thanks to the collaborative efforts of our staff and the day care team.

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