Enterprise Systems Company Culture
Front Range Tech Biz Magazine

The team at Enterprise Systems is encouraged to "both work hard and have fun."

April 21, 2002

• Company name: Enterprise Systems.

• Location: Golden.

• Describe your business: Enterprise Systems Inc. is a technology solutions provider specializing in local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), security, remote access, wireless networks and thin client solutions.

• Top executive: Robert Piwowarczyk, founder and president.

• When founded: 1995.

• How long at present location? 10 months.

• How did you choose your present location? We were originally in the foothills west of Denver (Morrison). We wanted to be a little closer to the talent pool as well as our customers. We wanted to also reduce our overhead costs as they relate to automobile-reimbursed expenses. By being closer to town, we have accomplished all of this.

• Number of employees when founded: One.

• Current number: Nine.

• How did you get your first funding? Robert sold his 1990 Jeep
Cherokee for $10,000, which served as the startup capital for Enterprise Systems.

• Describe your company's culture in a sentence: Our entrepreneurial roots foster a culture where your contribution counts, and where everyone is encouraged to both work hard and have fun.

• How did the company choose its name? Robert was working on a project in the basement of his house (our first office) when he saw a box from SCO/UNIX that said "Enterprise Systems." He liked the way that sounded and chose it for the company's name.

• What nonwork-related achievement is the company most proud of? The individual efforts of our employees to contribute to their communities. Our em-ployees contribute to the Park County Rescue service, sing in local choirs, volunteer for church activities and help out in their children's schools. Oh yeah, and we're all proud of the number of skier days we manage to fit in throughout the year.

• What TV sitcom does your office most resemble? We are pretty close to the "Friends" outfit. We all know each other very well, are great friends inside and outside of the office, and put down a ton of caffeine.

• What is the most embarrassing moment your company has had? Every day is pretty embarrassing if you are one of the eight married men who work with our only single employee in the office who also happens to be the sole female.

• What are the most popular amenities you offer employees? Our celebrations. The annual client appreciation parties (one year our client was the lead singer in the featured band) and the yearly company employee parties. We usually go off and do something exciting like rafting trips, hiking or skiing. We also have an onsite shower and real cloth towels in our restrooms.

• Cite an unusual fact that few people outside the company know about: Our VP of business development can regularly be found wearing yellow rubber gloves and cleaning the bathrooms. He cleans them at least once a week despite the fact that we have a cleaning service.

• Employees' consensus favorite ski area in Colorado: The back bowls of Vail.

• Best thing about doing business in Colorado: The people are friendly and down to earth, and when the work is done, we can all go outside and play in the mountains with our bikes, skis, snowboards, kayaks, rafts and hiking gear. Colorado is Colorado - enough said. Why would we go anywhere else?