Philip Laney knows that sometimes you have to play a little bit of “executive chess,” moving players around the board to assure that you maintain your status as a global leader in your chosen industry. That’s why he’s announcing today a couple of staff transitions that will help position his B&L Information Systems of Bridgman for continued growth in the days ahead.
B&L Information Systems, which is anchored on Rambo Road in Bridgman is the global leader in metalcasting ERP systems, and today the firm has announced that Jamie Kleca-Holse has joined the Professional Services Department as a Project Consultant, while Bryan Hoffmaster has joined the R&D Department as a Software Development Engineer.
In her new role, Jamie will be focused on supporting custom training for Phase 1 and Phase 2 ERP implementations as well as assisting with data conversions. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Information Systems from Indiana University-South Bend. Jamie’s prior career experience spans from shipping systems manager to administration in the construction industry. She joined B&L’s Customer Support Desk more than five years ago in early 2013.
In his new role, Bryan will be focused on front-end development for the Odyssey Web UI. He holds a Bachelor of Computer Science from Purdue University, and his prior career experience includes time as both a software developer and a customer support technician. He joined B&L’s Customer Support Desk earlier this year.
Laney, who is Chief Executive Officer at the high-tech firm at 4707 Rambo Road in Bridgman, just off of the I-94 interchange in that lakefront community, says, “As B&L continues to grow, there is a need to expand our staff. In addition to new hires, we look internally to find talent that has grown with us and learned how the metalcasting industry uses Odyssey to improve their operations.” Laney adds, “Jamie and Bryan are two examples of this, where their understanding of Odyssey will allow them to hit the ground running in their new roles.”
Since 1976, B&L Information Systems has provided integrated resource planning (ERP) for metalcasters. Company founder Richard (Dick) Laney, Phil’s father, recognized from his 25 years working in the foundry business that metalcasters had specific challenges and problems which were not addressed by mainstream technology solutions. In the years since, B&L Information Systems has become an industry-leading ERP solution provider, including being the first and front-running provider of Shop Floor Management needed for investment industry certifications.
Dick’s vision was to create a software solution that met the unique needs of metalcasters. Today, B&L develops, markets, and supports foundry and die cast ERP software exclusively. Over the years, B&L Information Systems has worked with over 400 metalcasting companies, of all sizes and types, to create several ERP software packages for metalcasters. B&L has harnessed their deep understanding of the specific challenges and problems of foundries and die casters to continually create and update ERP solutions which match the way metalcasters operate, making B&L software easier to learn and use. The latest ERP software from B&L is Odyssey, a browser-based ERP system that helps metalcasters manage business operations by integrating shop floor data with back office systems into an efficient information stream for all.
The company has expanded over the years to include a Customer Support Desk, Technology team, Professional Services Department, and a core of R&D developers. Dick Laney always stressed excellence in customer service, and those principals remain a driving force in all departments at B&L today. While technology is continually changing, the keys to B&L’s growth and success continue to remain:
- Metalcasting Industry Focus
- Award-Winning Customer Service
- Industrial Strength Product Reliability
- Continuous Education Opportunities
- Active and Involved User Group
Phil Laney, took the reins in 1999 and has overseen several significant technology innovations which continue B&L’s commitment to supporting the modern metalcasting industry. In 2009 B&L made Odyssey, which is originally designed to operate on Windows servers, available as Software as a Service (SaaS), as is the new browser-based Odyssey Web User Interface unveiled in 2014. In 2016, B&L added built-in CRM to the ERP capabilities of Odyssey.
The company continues to grow in the heart of Michigan’s Great Southwest.
