Ron Boetger President & CIO

Ron Boetger, a native of Erie, Pennsylvania, grew up in Northeast Ohio, where he has worked throughout his career. The holder of two U.S. patents, Ron is an electrical engineer who serves as the Director of Information Systems for a wide variety of regional corporations. In addition to being a technical wizard, however, Ron is a businessman who understands the pressures facing companies in today's highly competitive marketplace.

As an Information-Technology Specialist, Ron has been designing and implementing networking solutions since 1993, supporting computer systems for corporations ranging from service industries to nonprofits to manufacturers to mortgage brokers. When it comes to information technology, Ron does it all, evaluating current systems and proposing strategies for future technologies. He's not just the expert to turn to when there's a problem-he's also the man with the plan.

Yet it wasn't always Ron's specialty. After receiving a bachelor's degree in electronic technology from the University of Akron in 1974, Ron embarked upon a 20-year career in the manufacturing sector. As vice president at Code Manufacturing in Willoughby, a machine-shop fabricating company, Ron was responsible for the company's day-to-day operations and project management. But finding himself drawn to the field of computers, Ron returned to school in the late 1990s, earning certification as a Novell administrator and engineer from Lakeland Community College. He is presently working on his CISSP security certification.

Moving on to PC Importers in 1997, an $84 million computer manufacturer, Ron served as Director of Information Systems, a position he has continued to hold at various companies up to the present time. At PC, Ron was in charge of building the IS department, which included LAN and WAN systems for a 150-user network-Windows NT 4.0 servers, Novel 4.11, SCO UNIX, and BSD UNIX. He also maintained the company's Millennium telephone system and evaluated Oracle, Sap, Fourth Shift, and Symix ERP packages.

During the boom years of the late nineties, Ron brought his formidable skills to Cleveland's nanoFILM Ltd., producer of Nano coatings and lens cleaners for the ophthalmic industry. Under his management, nanoFILM's information and communication systems expanded to accommodate a 60 percent increase in business, thanks to an efficient, cost-effective IT department that increased its capacity from 17 users to 60 in less than twelve months. As project manager for the implementation of the AremisSoft ERP system, Ron oversaw a budget of $500,000, negotiating all software and hardware services procured from outside vendors. And the creation of the company's Web site and the rollout of its eCommerce program? That was Ron again.

Today, as the founder of AXXON Technologies, a consulting firm in Willoughby, Ron lends his expertise to a variety of small to mid-size businesses. Serving as the Director of Information Systems for Enterprise Development, American Home Mortgage, Pioneer Corporate Printers, and Fairhill Center for the Aged, Ron evaluates and proposes information systems, assesses and upgrades IT security systems, reviews contracts for vendor outsourcing, and assumes responsibility for the purchase of equipment and supplies. A member of the Northeast Ohio Software Association, Ron keeps his clients up to date with the very latest software innovations. And thanks to his COSE membership, he's as comfortable with a spreadsheet as he is with a PC, always focused on the company's growth and its bottom line.

In his free time, Ron is an avid cyclist and skier, he's certified by the Professional Skiing Instructors of America as a snowboard instructor, and he's a semi-pro water-skier. The people he works with every day can tell you that he brings that same desire to excel to all of his projects-just don't try to beat him on the slopes!