By: Brittany Collins
“We want people to make mistakes. We expect people to make mistakes. But when you do, we want you to raise your hand and own it.”
That’s how Jeff Borello, CEO and Co-Founder of Andromeda Technology Solutions, describes the kind of culture he’s built over the last 30 years—one built on accountability, communication, and staying power. In an industry known for burnout and turnover, his 36-person team is not only thriving, but helping manufacturers rethink the role of IT altogether.
A Slow Start That Built Something Lasting
Jeff didn’t set out to build a multimillion-dollar company. He started as a programmer fresh out of college, working long hours at a local firm. “We worked 60, 70, sometimes 80 hours a week,” he recalled on Manager Memo with host Leonard Samborowski.
When the company faced another round of cutbacks, he and two colleagues, Bill Utz and Pat McDonald, made a decision: if they were going to work that hard, they might as well do it for themselves.
They didn’t quit overnight. They started small—nights, weekends, then part-time—until they could go all in. “We’ve been very lucky,” Jeff said. “To stay in business 30-plus years is lucky enough, but to have the same three guys together—that’s rare.”
Why “Good Enough” IT Is a Risk You Can’t Afford
One story stood out. A new client—just days away from beginning work with Andromeda—was hit with ransomware. Their entire operation went down. “They were effectively out of business overnight,” Jeff said. Andromeda stepped in immediately, helping them recover within days and fully restoring operations in about a month.
The worst part? It could’ve been avoided. The old IT provider had left major gaps. “It was a wake-up call,” Jeff said. “There are enough better options out there—you don’t need to settle for ‘good enough’ anymore.”
Tech Strategy Is Business Strategy
Jeff believes the companies that succeed in manufacturing today are the ones that treat IT as a strategic partner—not just a service line. “You shouldn’t be doing your strategic planning without IT,” he said.
That’s why Andromeda takes a long-view approach with every client. “We want to build them a one, two, or three-year roadmap,” he explained. This includes lifecycle planning, infrastructure upgrades, and setting clear priorities—so IT doesn’t become the bottleneck when the business starts scaling.
And for companies with in-house IT teams? Andromeda doesn’t replace them—they support them. “Our job is to make those IT guys look great,” Jeff said.
The Cloud, AI, and What’s Actually Working
There was a time when Jeff didn’t trust the cloud. “I wanted to walk into my server room and touch my server,” he joked. But times changed—and so did he. Today, he recommends moving to the cloud for better access, flexibility, and security. “Let somebody else worry about that infrastructure. It just makes sense now.”
He’s also testing AI tools in-house, particularly ChatGPT, to process and analyze company data. So far, it’s been hit or miss. “It does some amazing things, and some really stupid stuff,” he said. “You can’t skip learning the process and go straight to automating it.”
The Values That Keep Andromeda Growing
Andromeda’s long-term goal is clear: become the go-to IT provider for U.S. manufacturers. But Jeff isn’t rushing it. “We’re happy with slow and steady growth,” he said. “We want to grow the team, take care of our clients, and keep the culture strong.”
The company runs daily team huddles, weekly meetings, quarterly offsites, and open communication top to bottom. “Winning starts and ends with communication,” he said, pointing to one of their core values.
And if there’s one thing Jeff wants future business owners to know? It’s that success takes time—and real work. “You’re going to miss birthday parties. You’re going to work through vacations. There’s no shortcut,” he said. “But if you’re all in, there’s a lot to be proud of on the other side.”
Published by Jeremy S.
