Building on a Vision of Technological Success

After spending six years as a management consultant working with companies across the nation, Berlin resident Sean Taylor began to notice a trend. In most cases, the businesses were struggling to find the right technology options to meet their needs.

So with a vision and a goal, Taylor and college friend Chris Shields, who has a background in Internet marketing, sat in Taylor’s living room in 2010 and brainstormed ways to start up Jaroop. Today the software development firm provides web-based technical solutions, enterprise level applications and data services for companies on a global level.


“We started from the ground up, working together with a whiteboard to draw up ideas. At first there was no salary, then just a little money,” Taylor said. “In the summer of 2011 we were able to find a small, one-room space in Middletown and it’s grown ever since.”

Fast forward to 2013 and Jaroop has grown to a point where they needed new space, a central location and a community committed to supporting technological development – and they’ve found a home on New Britain Road in Berlin.

The company, led by Taylor and Shields as principals, celebrated their grand opening and ribbon cutting Thursday afternoon. Supported by a team of software engineers, they are hoping the new location will be able to help take them to new heights.

Jaroop was a name selected from a handful provided in a Facebook contest, the two said. After putting it out to the public, the two said 86 percent of those who responded favored the name.

“It was something that didn’t tie us one idea or service,” Taylor said. “We are constantly changing and growing, so it doesn’t pigeon-hole us into a corner.

Jim Mahoney, Berlin’s economic development director, said he’s excited to see the company move to town and believes it helps bring a technology-based industry that will serve to improve the town’s economy.

“This is a young, tech-based business that will introduce new jobs in the community and continue to attract other companies to our area,” he said.

With easy access from the highways and a commitment to the future, Taylor and Shields both said they found Berlin to be the perfect location for their expansion. The company consists of several programmers and recently introduced a new website.

It’s a far stretch from when Taylor and Shields were working from a living room, Shields said Thursday. The company started with just one client, Shields’ former employer Antonin Auto, and now has clients nationwide.

“We have so many ideas and we are just looking to make our company grown and help make a difference,” Taylor said.

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