Founded in 2007, Lakota SoftwareSolutions is the brainchild of Aaron Wilson and Phillip Merritt, who worked together at the NASA facility in Fairmont.
“We started talking about starting our own company in order to have a West Virginia presence because we knew a lot of local people who had experience in the biometric area,” said Merritt, who serves as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer COO.
As a leading biometrics company, Lakota Software powers biometric identification systems using industry-forward technology for processing and compliance. The company offers commercial software solutions in addition to government contract solutions.
Keeping Talent in the State
Both of Lakota’s founders are graduates of West Virginia University and Fairmont State University. They take pride in giving back to the state, specifically through the company’s internship program. Every summer Lakota offers a few positions to software engineering students or computer science students from local colleges or universities.
“We like to give them an opportunity to see what is going on in the state with respect to software development and software engineering, in hopes of keeping them local and keeping good talent here in the state,” said Sam Cilento, the company’s sales and marketing director who himself is a graduate of WVU.
Lakota Software Solutions also offers a comprehensive benefits package with profit sharing so every employee has a vested interest in the success of the company.
Connecting with the WV SBDC
In their efforts to grow the company, Lakota Software Solutions connected with the West Virginia Small Business Development Center, a statewide network that recognizes the need for a supportive atmosphere in which small businesses can start, grow and thrive. The WV SBDC provides no-cost business coaching and low-cost training to new and existing businesses in The Mountain State.
“Lakota was already a successful business when I got involved,” WV SBDC Business Coach Todd Crump said. “So I really haven’t done much except try to help them advance their goals when it came to strategic planning, marketing and growing their footprint.”
Expanding to a Global Market
The company has indeed grown its footprint. Based out of the I-79 Technology Park in Fairmont, Lakota has been recognized as one of the premier providers of software support and exporting software outside of the U.S.
In fact, last year Lakota Software Solutions was one of 23 West Virginia companies recognized with a Governor’s Export Award that is given to companies that made their first sale to a new country in the previous calendar year. To date they have expanded their market to Belgium, Brazil, Germany, Iraq, Mexico, Slovakia and the United Kingdom.
“That is a testimony to the effort that they’ve put into not only providing quality service, but seeing it go beyond the borders here of the state as well as the country, so they deserve that recognition. I’m glad to see them get that,” Crump said.
Become a WV SBDC Client
The WV SBDC assists entrepreneurs and small business owners at every stage of the business lifecycle by providing technical assistance to help clients clarify goals, develop skills and acquire resources to operate a successful enterprise.
To learn more, visit wvsbdc.com and click on “Become a Client.”