By Leigh Savage

Southern Community Services (SCS) and Community Association Management Services (CAMS) are joining forces, expanding their reach as they serve more than 600 communities across the Carolinas.

SCS and CAMS specialize in the management of homeowner and community associations. Company leaders say clients and residents will benefit from the merger thanks to increased efficiency, more back-office capacity, and enhanced technology. The company names will remain the same, and day-to-day operation should continue as usual for customers. 

“Over the years, SCS has maintained a close relationship with CAMS, sharing best practices, technology solutions, and business strategy,” says SCS President and Co-Principal Larry Ridlehoover. SCS has offices in Spartanburg, Columbia, and Charleston. 

Dave Sweyer, CEO of CAMS, agrees that joining forces makes sense. “We share similar business philosophies and cultural values, so blending our organizations together really creates a stronger community association management company.” CAMS currently operates across North and South Carolina. 

He says the immediate benefit will be optimizing back-office support including customer support, accounting, IT, marketing, and operations. “Once we align all of these functions, we will spend some time with the management side of the company, sharing best practices on community manager development and support and customer education,” Sweyer says.

CAMS is known for technological innovation after developing Vantaca, software that SCS is implementing for all of its community association clients. It offers real-time data analytics, banking integration, and task management, among other features.

“Vantaca offers SCS a fully automated accounting system integrated with their bank partner,” Sweyer says. “The homeowner’s portal allows SCS customers to access critical information for their property like billing, payment processing, work order requests, email blasts from the community, etc.”

CAMS assisted SCS in onboarding Vantaca for an April 1 launch date. 

SCS brings the ability to grow in markets in Columbia, Charleston, and beyond, to cities such as “Hilton Head, Greenville, and possibly Savannah,” says Mike Stonestreet, CAMS owner. 

Both companies have experience managing large-scale mixed-use communities, resort condominiums, urban condos, and small-scale neighborhoods, according to Ken Tamsin, CEO of SCS. “Through these experiences, we develop software solutions to facilitate better processes and create solutions for homeowners to self-serve,” Tamsin says. “We plan to continue to grow SCS in Columbia, which will in turn help many of our local business partners grow, including landscapers, contractors, attorneys, CPAs, engineering firms, pool contractors, and more.”

CAMS was founded in 1991 by Stonestreet and joined by Sweyer, and has grown to become one of the most successful community association management firms in the Southeast. SCS was founded in 2000 and has been led by Ridlehoover since its inception. Ridlehoover and co-principal Chuck Munn have been involved with many well-known communities across the state, including Sea Pines, Park West, DeBordieu, and Lake Carolina.