Avalon’s new CEO leads firm with fast-growing cyber division

SYRACUSE, N.Y. — After joining the business a few years ago as COO, Jon Bates is now leading Avalon as the firm’s CEO.

The Syracuse–based company announced the promotion on May 22. 

JP Midgley, who previously was Avalon CEO, stepped down from the position in April and will now serve on Avalon’s board of directors and as the company’s corporate strategy director, per a May 22 news release.

First operating as a legal copy company, Avalon has evolved to offer tech services like digital forensics and eDiscovery, as well as niche document services nationwide, including scanning, secure print and mail, bid management, business-process outsourcing, and managed office services. 

In more recent years, the company established Avalon Cyber to help businesses further by identifying and managing cyber risk through managed detection and response, vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, and incident response.

In his new role, Bates will lead all aspects of Avalon’s operations, particularly focusing on the company’s overall goals, growth, profit, and return on investment. More specifically, Bates will work with Avalon’s board of directors and top executives to establish short-term and long-term objectives and provide regular reports on the status of Avalon’s operations to the board of directors and company staff.

“I am honored to begin this new chapter at Avalon and continue working with this incredible team toward delivering the highest-quality work-product for our clients, transforming the way they do business,” Bates contended. “From litigation support and eDiscovery services to our rapidly growing cybersecurity division, we’re here to provide critical business services that strengthen our clients’ capabilities and contribute to their success. We have exciting plans on the horizon and, together, we will achieve historic growth for our company and our clients.”

Bates first joined Avalon in 2020 as COO and developed and implemented business strategies and policies to help increase market share and generate a big return on investment. 

Prior to Avalon, Bates served as VP at document management firm CloudDOCX IT, which is based in Rochester. He also previously served as eastern regional business-development manager at InStream, an office-workflow solutions and document-management technology company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. 

Avalon says it has offices in Syracuse, Buffalo, and Rochester in New York, as well as locations in Cleveland, Ohio; Tampa, Florida; Omaha, Nebraska; Detroit, Michigan; and Phoenix, Arizona.