A Chesapeake firm that helps businesses maintain their internet presence attracts clients globally, but has yet to be discovered locally.

Green Olive Tree ensures clients' websites keep performing well, said founder and owner Jon Berry. The firm monitors and detects server problems and can correct most issues before users notice, he said.

Web-hosting companies contact the firm to use servers, but other clients include an e-commerce site selling widgets, travel agents, lawyers, a viral news site and web developers, Berry said.

Most of the firm's clients use full, dedicated servers, he said, but the business also offers shared hosting and individual cloud servers for small businesses or high-traffic websites.

Berry began his web-hosting business in 2002 where he would provide space for websites. He later offered server management. Running the server requires skill that not many people have.

Computers were part of Berry's life growing up and during his 20 years in the Navy. He was a nuclear power plant supervisor and network administrator who, during his final tour on the USS Eisenhower, was responsible for the reactor department's local area network (LAN). 

“I was always a computer geek,” he said.

Green Olive Tree is a two-man operation. Most times, Berry is the one who answers the phone. He and one other employee usually work from home, but the business is set up so they are able to work from almost anywhere.

“We’re a very small company, so our support is catered to our customers,” Berry said.

Berry would like to garner more attention in Hampton Roads, but admits marketing is not his strength. The business is successful, doing more than $1 million in annual sales last year, but has plateaued for the past three years, he said.

“I come from a genetic stock of people wanting to run their own businesses,” Berry said.

For more information, visit greenolivetree.net.