London Computer Systems - Entrepreneur of the Year

Company: London Computer Systems, Cincinnati, OH
Company Description: Incorporated in 1987 and based in Cincinnati, Ohio, London Computer Systems (LCS) is a developer of business-critical technologies. LCS products include Rent Manager® property management software, rmVoIP phone systems, enterprise-level hosting solutions via Sentry Data Center, network design, implementation, and support, and custom website development through IT Services and Web Design Services.
Nomination Category: Entrepreneur Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Entrepreneur of the Year - Computer Software - 500 or More Employees

Nomination Title: Dave Hegemann, President & CEO of London Computer Systems (LCS)

Incorporated in 1987 by Dave Hegemann and headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio; London Computer Systems (LCS) is a developer of business-critical software used in all 50 states and several markets throughout the world. LCS products include Rent Manager® property management software, rmVoIP telephone systems, and enterprise-level hosting solutions via its Sentry Data Center.
https://www.lcs.com/
https://www.rentmanager.com/

Today, Dave and the team at LCS work to change the way technology influences business by developing one-of-a-kind tools and programs relied upon by more than 30,000 hosted users across North America and in other markets around the world. Dave’s priority is to provide products that deliver revolutionary freedom to property managers and give them the ability to focus on growing their businesses. Because of his dedication to continuous advancement, Dave and LCS have emerged as award-winning industry leaders, garnering numerous accolades over the course of 30 years. Read about the company’s most recent achievements at: https://www.rentmanager.com/our-most-recent-awards-and-recognitions.

Despite pursuing an environment of constant growth and innovation, Dave has also done an exceptional job of leading the company forward without risking his employees’ well-being. A principle of his business strategy is to provide employees with consistency and security, and to-date, LCS has never had a layoff. Perhaps the greatest example of Dave’s responsible leadership is the company’s debt-free status. At a time when most start-ups pursued venture capital, large loans, or other forms of financing, he made it a priority to never exceed his budget, nor grow the business beyond a point of healthy manageability.

Dave encourages his employees to never stop learning, improving, and growing—both personally and professionally. Thanks to his leadership, employee retention at LCS is notably high. And though2020 provided unique challenges that resulted in downsizing at other companies, LCS continued to add jobs—even after shifting to remote workspaces in March. Our employee retention rates are solid, with 94 team members employed for 3–5 years, 42 employees with 6–9 years, and 35 staffers who have been with the company for 10+ years. 2020 also saw continued growth under Dave’s leadership in many facets of the business, including supporting more than 30,000 Rent Manager users and seeing a 17.8% growth in the LCS workforce. All of this was accomplished while sustaining the company’s 20-year uninterrupted streak of annual revenue growth.

Fostering a company culture that paves the way for professional growth; open communication; and a work-hard, play-hard atmosphere has always been important to Dave. As LCS shifted to remote work in 2020, he ensured that the organization’s carefully honed and crafted culture remained intact. He supported 12 virtual company events and transformed the monthly All-Hands company meeting into an engaging virtual experience. Traditionally, Dave has met with every new employee to welcome them to the company and share the LCS story. Even amidst the swift transition to remote work, this essential practice continued, shifting from in-person get-togethers to group video chats where Dave is able to introduce himself and gets a chance to meet all the recent additions to the company.

The potentially negative impact that remote workspaces could have on our strong company culture was a significant concern for Dave. But, thanks to regular communications from the company’s management team; custom-tailored employee engagement efforts; and a well-supported digital work environment, morale has remained high. Proof of this is LCS being named one of Enquirer Media’s “Top Workplaces” in Cincinnati for the ninth consecutive year (2012-2020); a Best Workplace in Ohio for the fourth time by Ohio Business Magazine (2017-2020), and its recognition as the Tech Company of the Year by Cincinnati Business Courier.

Dave encourages employees to participate in various charitable efforts, community outreach initiatives, and industry involvement throughout the year. Whether collecting disaster relief supplies, holiday gifts to make a foster child’s dreams come true, or raising money for local affordable-housing initiatives, Dave’s employees continually focus on making the world around them a better place.

-14-20% average annual revenue growth – 20 years in a row (2000-2020)
-Continued LCS’ debt-free status
-Increased focus on company employee growth, with over 130 New Hires in 2020
-381 employees—total employee increase of 17.8%
-Facilitated the 2020 remote workspace switch for all employees
-Achieved 40.2% growth in the Rent Manager Partner Integrations Program
-Received a series of awards, including Top Workplaces Award for the ninth consecutive year (Cincinnati, Ohio); six American Business Awards Stevie Awards in 2019; Ohio Business Best Workplaces; Brandon Hall HCM Excellence Awards – Silver Excellence in Learning; and Lenny Award for Best Customer Training Program
-Glassdoor Reviews: 90% of respondents say that they approve of the CEO