Corning Data celebrates 25th year
BY Michael Mullaney
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| Eric Wensel | the leader
IT specialist Corey Reynolds, one of 75 Corning Data Services employees, works Tuesday on an upcoming project. |
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CORNING | Scott Peterson's first stint with computers was thirty years ago in Hammondsport.
Fresh
out of college, the math major was working as a tour guide for Taylor
Wine Co. on Keuka Lake. After the winery purchased its first IBM
computer, Peterson gladly accepted an offer to become the resident
"computer guy."
The old IBM "was about the size of a washer and
dryer put together," Peterson said. His love and understanding of
computers grew, as he used the machine to automate the winery's record
books.
A few years later, in 1980, he and his wife, Gayle, moved on to form Corning Data Services.
Fast forward 25 years and Corning Data
Services is today growing quicker than ever. With customers spanning
from "Michigan to Massachusetts," president and CEO Peterson said his
company staffs 75 employees and pulls in about $20 million annually.
Corning
Data Services sells, trains and services enterprise resource planning
systems for businesses. These extensive computer systems can be used to
do anything a business needs, from keeping track of personnel or
customer records to processing sales, manufacturing or financing.
"It's a big endeavor" and a highly competitive industry, Peterson said earlier this week.
The
company deals in both hardware and software, supplying the computers as
well as the programs. Peterson and his team usually spend between nine
months and several years working closely with customers, training staff
how to use the new computer systems and working out any technical
glitches.
Though brand names remain the same - think IBM, Lotus
and Oracle - products offered by Corning Data Services have changed
dramatically over the past 25 years.
Peterson has seen
room-sized mainframes shrink down into laptop computers, and miles of
backup tape replaced by CDs and DVDs. As the size and price of
computers shrank, the machines became more and more prevalent in
everyday life.
"The miniaturization still amazes me," he said.
"It seemed like overnight that computers went from a luxury to
essential business tools."
To keep up with the industry's
unfaltering pace, Corning Data Services employs a full-time recruiter
to bring in new talent. Though the company is headquartered in Corning,
many employees are scattered throughout the Northeast and living in
close proximity to clients.
The company also keeps an eye on new
and emerging technology, and incorporates new products lines to keep up
with customer demand.
"You have to reinvent yourself every six years to stay in business," Peterson said.
Peterson's
strategy seems to be working. After being in business for a
quarter-century, Corning Data Services only ended one of those years in
the red. The company was recently named "Business of the Week" by The
Central New York Business Journal.
Peterson, a graduate of
Corning West High School, lives in Gang Mills with his wife and three
children. He is quick to share his success with employees and
co-workers.
"When you're a small business, you can't afford to
make a lot mistakes," Peterson said. "Luckily, we haven't made too many
in the past 25 years."
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