When one of Valpo’s many small businesses runs into a computer or internet issue it often turns into an expensive situation that can affect customer satisfaction. When that happens, there is a good chance that Buchertech’s Larry Atkins can save the day.
Atkins is a longtime veteran of the technology industry. He rejoined Buchertech last October as Senior Systems Engineer at the local IT solutions company, and tackles core tasks such as setting up new clients or handling emergencies.
“Pretty much anything we support, I do,” Atkins said. While he is not the first-responder to clients whose computers run slowly or won’t turn on, he works behind the scenes to manage equipment and processes during emergencies.
Atkins is a Region native and graduate of Griffith High School. He not originally set out to work in IT. The first thing he did after high school was join the Navy. He then attended Purdue University and earned a bachelor’s degree in construction management.
“I originally was just a computer hobbyist. I had a lot of friends who were into tech and I picked it up from them,” he said. “Then, when I was working as a project engineer they had a need for an IT person and I decided to give it a try. That’s where it all started.”
He grew to love the work over the years, though it is often a challenge. Technology is constantly changing and advancing, and on of his trickiest jobs as a technician is staying on top of the latest updates so he can keep clients’ computers and systems secure.
“I like to learn, and the industry definitely makes me do a lot of that,” he said. “Sometimes we’re picking new things up monthly. Our sales team finds the new solutions, and then engineers are the ones implementing that upgrade for the clients. We’ve got to learn all the new technologies that pop up on our desks.”
Love of technology aside, he most appreciates Buchertech itself.
“As a small business, it’s a more family-oriented kind of environment,” Atkins said. “You know everybody that you’re working with pretty well and you can always trust them to have your back. They really make you feel appreciated.”
When he is not on the job, Atkins is at the gym, playing cornhole, or spending time with his wife and daughter in their Valparaiso home.
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