Durham, NC, June 25, 2026 — Net Friends, a North Carolina based IT Managed Services Provider, is proud to announce that RJ Madsen has won the Builder of the Year award at the 2026 Rewst Automation & AI Awards, presented live at the FLOW 2026 conference in Nashville, Tennessee.
The award recognizes RJ for his creativity and technical skill in building automation tools that have genuinely changed how Net Friends works day to day, and for setting a standard that others in the Rewst community look to.
The Builder of the Year award goes to someone who has shown real mastery of the Rewst platform, built tools that make a measurable difference for their organization, and raised the bar for what others believe is possible.
“What truly sets RJ apart is his design sensibility. He doesn't just code or work out the logical steps to go from point A to B. He clarifies and improves ideas, has a knack at channeling the heart of someone's vision, and ensures that we put into operation what gets built. It's this collection of contributions that makes him such an effective builder.” – John Snyder, CEO, Net Friends
Rather than relying on off-the-shelf templates, RJ builds his automations from scratch, customizing every detail to fit how Net Friends operates. In April alone, his tools saved the team over 750 hours of manual work, and Net Friends is on track to surpass 1,000 hours saved per month. Technicians can support 200 users, compared to the industry average of 100.
“A year ago, our team was spending hundreds of hours a month on work that a well-built system could handle. RJ built those systems. He gave our technicians their time back, made everyone around him better, and our customers feel that difference every day. Seeing him recognized like this is a proud moment for all of us.” — Joel Abney, COO, Net Friends
RJ’s standout projects include:
- A system that automatically manages client employee device onboardings. This makes them faster and more accurate.
- Device tracking reports that detail device age and assignment. This allows clients to plan for upgrades and manage their assets.
- Automated processing that eliminates the need to manually handle roughly 120 invoices each month.
- Running a daily sync that keeps customer data accurate across the company’s CRM and ticketing systems.
- First-of-its-kind solution that gives Net Friends centralized control over all of its Google-based client accounts, filling a gap that no vendor had solved before.
RJ also gives back to the people around him. He actively coaches’ colleagues on how to use Rewst and has shared his work at multiple community events hosted by Rewst for users across the industry. That combination of technical depth and genuine generosity is what makes this recognition so well deserved.
“It’s an honor to be recognized. I’m looking forward to building more automations that help our customers solve real problems.” — RJ Madsen, Automation Engineer, Net Friends
RJ Madsen accepting the 2026 Builder of the Year award at Rewst Flow, Nashville
“MSPs who figure out a better way to run their business tend to share it. That’s been true since the first day this community existed. The Rewst Automation & AI Awards recognize the best of that work and make sure the broader industry sees it.” — Aharon Chernin, Founder and CEO, Rewst
About Net Friends
Founded in 1997, Net Friends has built a legacy of award-winning excellence in managed IT, cybersecurity, and infrastructure solutions for small businesses across North Carolina. A seven-year continuous recipient of the SOC II Type 2 audit certification, Net Friends also ranks among an elite group of technology providers recognized by Channel Futures' MSP 501 Global Ranking, the ChannelPro Partner in Excellence Award, the GTIA, and the Triangle Business Journal's Fast 50. These honors reflect not just operational integrity and security leadership, but a deep and lasting commitment to the clients Net Friends serves.
Learn more at netfriends.com or connect on LinkedIn.
Net Friends Media Contact
Emily Dao-Forrester
Emily.Dao-Forrester@NetFriends.com
About Rewst
Rewst is a multi-tenant automation platform built for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to automate and orchestrate repetitive processes. It transforms manual work into secure, scalable workflows that run across the MSP, its tools, and its clients. With more than 90 integrations, 120 prebuilt automations called Crates, RoboRewsty’s AI-assisted capabilities, and an active automation community, Rewst helps more than 1,500 MSPs scale their businesses, improve service consistency, and gain a competitive advantage through automation. Follow Rewst on LinkedIn.
Rewst Media Contact
Angela DeClouet
Angela.DeClouet@rewst.io
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