Our History

1974

Fort Lauderdale, FL

1977

Fort Lauderdale, FL

2010

Tukwila, WA

2015

Trenton, NJ

2016

Rocky Mount, NC

2022

Pittsfield, MA

2022

Hollywood, FL

2024

Williston, VT

2025

Akron, OH

2025

Tacoma, Washington

Ding-A-Ling Answering Service

Herman Shooster, Michael's father, acquired Ding-A-Ling Answering Service in 1974 and this was the inception of the Shooster family business. Ding-A-Ling is our roots and the company still exists today in Palm Beach, FL.

Harrell's Answering Service

Harrell's Answering Service was the Shooster's second acquisition. After selling her business, Joan Harrell was only supposed to hang around for six months to help with the migration. 45+ years later, today, she is the Director of Operations for Answering Service Care, one of our portfolio companies.

Kelley’s Telephone Answering Service

The Kelleys of Kelley's Answering Service

Kelley's Telephone Answering Service was strategically acquired in 2010. The company was started by Max Kelley in 1950, over 80 years ago. We acquired the business from Max’s daughter Janie Kelley Choate and her husband, Jack Choate. The business had approximately 450 clients, all from the WA area.

A-1 Message Center

In 2015, A-1 Message Center was purchased, located right outside of Princeton, NJ. The business was previously owned by Robert Manheimer, who had been operating the business for fifteen years. This business had approximately 450 clients located around NYC and Philadelphia areas.

Around-the-Clock Answering Service

This business comes out of Rocky Mount, NC. The company was founded by Gay Mathews, who started the business twenty-five years prior to the acquisition. The business had 150 clients, and 90 were in the funeral home business. All customers were local to the Rocky Mount area. Gay continued working with our team for a number of years until she retired. Athena Matthews, Gay’s daughter, continues to work for the company, has taken on various new duties during her tenure with the company, and is presently working in a managerial capacity.

Berkshire Communicators

The business is located in the Berkshire Mountains in Massachusetts. Acquired from Julie Mooney in the spring of 2022. This business had been operating for over eighty years. The business had approximately 360 clients. Most of these clients come from Massachusetts or the Hudson Valley, NY area. While the company's name has been changed to Berkshire Receptionists, it continues to operate independently.

A Ring-A-Ding Answering Service

In 2022, we acquired A-Ring-A-Ding Answering Service located down the street in Hollywood, FL.

Contact Communications

In 2024, we acquired Contact Communications. For over 30 years, Contact Communications has been keeping businesses and busy professionals connected, seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

AAAA Answering Service, Inc.

Our most recent acquisition is AAAA Answering Service, Inc., based in Akron, OH. With decades of experience, AAAA has built a strong reputation for delivering dependable call answering solutions around the clock. We’re thrilled to bring their expertise into the Answering Service Care family as we continue expanding our reach and enhancing our services.

Americall

Americall, a long-standing leader in live answering and contact center solutions—has joined the Answering Service Care family. Founded in 1938 and rooted in Tacoma, Washington, AmeriCall brings 85+ years of know-how supporting organizations that rely on dependable, always-on communication. Together, we’re combining AmeriCall’s decades-deep operational expertise with Answering Service Care’s modern platform, bilingual support, and white-glove client experience, so businesses get faster response times, smarter workflows, and more ways to stay connected with customers day and night.

Shooster Holdings has a rich history dating back to October 15, 1974, although it was officially founded as a family office in 2019. Our initial focus began in the TAS industry, and today we lead the industry thanks to our commitment to delivering higher quality customer and agent experiences through our investment into technology. Well-equipped agents lead to high-quality customer service engagements, which in turn leads to happy clients.

We specialize in B2B, SaaS, CCaaS, Virtual Receptionists, Telephone Answering Services, and Commercial Real Estate with some exposure to early-stage startups. Our focus on family values, trust, and long-term investment allows us to build lasting relationships with our employees and partners, some of which have lasted over 20 and 30 years. Over the years, founder Michael Shooster has successfully completed 8 acquisitions and 3 exits, demonstrating the company’s commitment to growth and success.

At Shooster Holdings, we are committed to making a meaningful investment in the education, development, and growth of our current and future employees and subsidiaries. Our culture prioritizes collaboration, creativity, and respect, which has helped us to build a strong foundation for our continued success. Innovation Together reflects our belief that success is achieved through collaboration and partnership. This principle is woven into the fabric of our culture and is exemplified in the way we work with our employees, partners, and clients. Our commitment to innovation, relentless progress, T.E.A.M., and family is a cornerstone of our approach to growth, and it is what sets us apart as a family office.

After my father passed away in 2014, his companies were passed down to my siblings and I: the contact center, Global Response; answering service, Answering Service Care; commercial real estate development company, 777 Properties; and the 3PL company, ShipWizard. My father built his companies with a focus on people. His people became a part of his family. He believed that if you have the right people and they care about their work, the quality speaks for itself. In 2019, I had a chance to retire but the idea of golfing Monday through Friday just didn’t do it for me.

With four boys in college, and with some expressing various degrees of interest in business, I decided to try and build a company built off of the same family values that were instilled onto me by my father. This business would be known as Shooster Holdings (SH). It’s been an amazing ride and it just feels great to have the opportunity to carry on with a new family business. My whole life I’ve been an entrepreneur. When I wake up every day, I love what I do. I wouldn’t want it any other way.

– Michael Shooster, Founder and CEO of Shooster Holdings

Family Business CEO to Watch 2022.

Success Stories

Shooster Holdings is committed to building successful businesses through operational improvements, strategic acquisitions, and organic growth. Over several decades, we have been involved in numerous success stories, each one a testament to our expertise in identifying and nurturing promising companies.

One of our key strengths is our ability to identify opportunities where others see only challenges. We are not afraid to take on businesses in competitive or rapidly-changing markets, and we pride ourselves on our ability to innovate and adapt to changing circumstances. This has enabled us to create successful businesses in a wide range of industries. We seek out businesses with untapped potential, and we work closely with their leadership teams to unlock that potential and accelerate growth.

We take a long-term view of our investments, recognizing that true success is measured in years and decades, not just quarters. This means we are willing to invest in businesses even when the returns may not be immediate, and we are committed to building enduring relationships with our employees, customers, and partners.

Overall, our success stories reflect our commitment to creating value through strategic investments and thoughtful management. We are proud of our track record and excited to continue building successful businesses for years to come.