Riding on several years of annual revenue growth in excess of 30 percent, Paladin Data Corporation announced that it will be expanding from its current headquarters at the Bend Airport to a larger property on the east side of Awbrey Butte in Bend.
For the past seven years, Paladin employees have shared a 12,000-square-foot hangar with the company’s airplanes; a fleet that has helped get the company off the ground as provider of point of sale (POS) software primarily for hardware stores and pharmacies.
“While it lacks in formal conference rooms and a few other office conveniences, the hangar has served us well,” said Dan Nesmith, President of Paladin Data Corp. “Since we often fly directly to meet with clients in small towns across the country, having airplanes and personnel at the same location has saved a vast amount of time and effort. Now, the new building will allow us to run our business more efficiently and give us plenty of room to keep growing for years to come.”
Paladin Home Base Serves Clients Across The Nation
Nesmith always had a strong affinity for hardware store owners and saw they had a great need for POS support. He started developing software solutions for the industry in 1980, which led to the creation of Paladin Data Corp. The company expanded its offerings beyond hardware stores in 2008 when one client asked if they could provide a POS system for his pharmacy. Even as the business expanded to include pharmacies, the Paladin team felt a special connection to hardware stores.
“We realized early on that by going to the hardware store owner’s place of business, we could close sales and provide technical support much more effectively,” states Nesmith.
“Our desire to live in Bend wouldn’t have to be a hindrance if we could fly to them directly via private plane. So my wife Judie (Paladin’s Vice President) and I both learned to fly and invested in our first single-engine plane.”
In 1999, Paladin purchased the first of its twin-engine planes and has since added five more employees with pilot’s licenses, who go out on a regular basis to perform installations (or “missions,” as they’re referred to around the hangar).
“A potential client in Gallup, New Mexico or Kalispell, Montana is pretty amazed when you tell them we’ll be there in a matter of hours rather than in a couple of days,” says Judie. “Plus, at the end of the day, it’s nice to be able to get back and sleep in your own bed, rather than in a strange hotel or airport terminal.”
Benefits of Expanding
With a graphical interface that virtually any retail business can adapt and an exceptional commitment to customer service, Paladin has definite potential for expansion into other industries in the future. Plus, the company’s practice of going above and beyond the call of duty for its customers is only expected to increase when it expands into its new offices this spring.
The new building located near the corner of NW Summit and NW Mt. Washington Drive in Awbrey Village provides 19,200 square feet with multiple conference rooms and 150 parking spaces with an option for even more. The property’s superb infrastructure, as well as its battery backup and standby generator, will exceed the expectations for a successful software manufacturer like Paladin. Plus, the enormous break room, fireplace and kitchen with a pizza oven will only add to employee morale.
“We take pride in providing a relaxed, family-oriented atmosphere,” said General Manager Mike Williamson. “In the past four years, we’ve tripled our number of employees and several of them are spouses or related in one way or another.
“With the extra office space, we’ll be able to hire additional engineers and service representatives. We’ll also be able to ramp up our marketing efforts, which should increase the upward cycle of growth.”
With the airplane hangar still offering easy access to the outside world and the new office creating an expansive home base, the sky is literally the limit for Paladin’s future.“The culture, attitude and energy we established in the hangar are responsible for much of the success we’ve experienced,” says Nesmith. “By giving those three things the chance to flourish in our environment, I see nothing but growth, growth and more growth on the horizon.”
Paladin Continues to Grow
“We’ve outgrown the home base,” adds Nesmith. “There are several additions to the Paladin team, and it’s time for a place with a bit more room. We’ve found a good building for our business where there is opportunity for development and further expansion.”By expanding our base of operations to the east side of Awbrey Butte in Bend, we’re prepared for more progress. Paladin plans on hiring plenty more team members, as well as growing our business to continue helping store owners succeed.”Paladin is growing, and we couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you for your continued support. Here’s to another year of growth and success.”
Paladin Data Corporation
Location/website: 3020 NW Merchant Way Bend OR www.paladinpos.com.
Phone: 800-725-2346 , 541-617-9955,
Founder/ CEO: Dan Nesmith
No. Employees: 37
Year Established: 1980
Product/Service: point of sale solution company specializing in helping retail store owners accomplish more with less through its innovative point of sale software and integration with suppliers, credit card processors and equipment manufacturers. Paladin’s primary market segments are hardware stores, independent pharmacies, and general retail.
Hot News: Deschutes County gave $32,000 forgivable economic development loan August 2013. $2,000 per new job created for a total of 16 new jobs over two-years. Paladin has secured a second location of 20,000 square feet in Bend to house its expansion. Occupancy is scheduled for April. Sales greater than forecast have driven the growth.
Outlook for Growth: over the next few years, plans to increase personnel as they expand into the general retail market while deepening their relationship with the pharmacy store industry. Sales for the last three years have exceeded all forecasts and this trend will only continue.
