Big changes at Compli

We’re very excited to announce that Avalara acquired the operational assets of Compli yesterday. This is a big, big day for us, and I wanted to tell you all about it.

First the facts: The entire team here at Compli will now be employees of Avalara. We’ll still occupy our offices in Paso Robles, CA and Boulder, CO. I am now the General Manager of the beverage alcohol division of Avalara. Our services will continue, as will our eCompli software.

For the last 21 years, we’ve remained singularly focused on providing regulatory compliance software and services for the beverage alcohol industry. Quietly, we’ve grown our awesome team to 45 strong and have reestablished our Purpose and our Core Values. We’ve invested in relationships, including the wonderful partnership we have with Wine Institute. We’ve invested in our technology, including a new version of our software and new capabilities to integrate with industry partners. And, we’ve grown our client base and increased the reach and awareness of Compli in the industry.

Through that change and growth we’ve really seen a clear picture of the opportunity that exists in this industry and beyond. That’s why the conversation that we started with Avalara many months ago could not have come at a better time. We’re going to have an incredible partner that has the experience, infrastructure, and resources to help take this to the next level. If you’re not yet familiar with Avalara, here’s a few things you should know:

• Founded in 2004, Avalara is a leading provider of tax compliance automation software globally
• Headquartered in Seattle Washington, with 12 offices in the US, Europe, South America and Asia with over 1,500 employees across the globe
• Publicly traded company (AVLR)
• Processed more than 8 billion transactions last year, and filed over 1 million returns
• Experienced content research team with more than 100 full-time experts to monitor tax changes and updates for accurate and efficient delivery to customers
• Over 700 pre-built integrations with ERP, Commerce, and Point of Sale systems

I’m really excited about this because of the benefits that it will bring to our team, our partners, and our clients. Our team gets to collaborate with an excellent, experienced group that knows how to do compliance the right way, and they’ll have many opportunities to grow professionally. Our partners get to take advantage of the vast capabilities around integration, making it easier than ever to build compliance into business processes. Our clients will benefit in so many ways. Avalara has a robust Treasury department that securely manages billions of dollars in funds and remittance. They have resources, proven processes, and a highly scalable SaaS infrastructure that will be available as our clients grow. They have an amazing content research team. But most importantly of all, we share the same “cult of the customer” culture that is dedicated to making clients successful.

We think the beverage alcohol industry is in the middle of tremendous change. From shifting consumer behavior and expectations, to the Wayfair Supreme Court ruling that is creating a new landscape for remote sellers, to the upcoming Byrd Supreme Court case that could alter the dynamics of the three-tier system, we want to be ready to help our clients navigate these complex times. This acquisition puts us in the best possible position to do just that.

I would like to personally thank everyone that has supported Compli along this journey. We could not have done this without the friends, family, employees both current and former, partners and clients that were there for us along the way. Cheers!