Patrick Fraley, one of Bucher Technologies’ longest serving employees, was promoted to project manager at the Valparaiso-based information technology (IT) and managed services firm in April.
Fraley began his career at BucherTech 15 years ago. Fresh out of college, he saw that the company had posted a job ad for a senior engineer. It was a role he, admittedly, was underqualified for at the time. Nevertheless, BucherTech’s owner and founder Tim Bucher invited him in for an interview and hired him anyway, believing in the young man’s potential.
“Tim was honest and told me I didn’t really fit that position, but he wanted to hire me anyway,” Fraley said. “He took a chance on me, and I started out at the tech level. From there, I moved up to senior tech, to engineer, then systems engineer, and now this latest change, where I’ve been made project manager.”
Fraley spent most of the last 15 years working closely with customers to solve problems and implement solutions. He was very boots-on-the-ground, getting hands-on with the technology, and performing installations and tackling IT emergencies. Most recently, he completed dedicated contracts – working with the same client every day.
“One thing I love about this work is that it’s one of the rare jobs where you really get to help people directly,” he said. “IT is often frustrating and has been getting more and more complicated, so being able to be that trustworthy figure for organizations in the area and helping them work through those troubles has always been something I’ve enjoyed.”
His new role as project manager is less hands-on, shifting him to a role where he supervises BucherTech’s technicians and develops plans to meet client needs.
“BucherTech places a lot of importance on living by the golden rule, and our clients really appreciate that,” he said. “My job is to keep our level of service high and make sure nothing falls through the cracks. That means making sure we’re meeting expectations while keeping our guys busy and on track. The end goal is to make sure BucherTech keeps that small-business, small-town feel even as we grow.”
As project manager, he is more responsible than ever for helping clients navigate the IT landscape. Understanding each client’s business is key, and close communication is essential.
“IT is a big part of any business, and there are cybersecurity risks that come with it,” he said. “It all starts with a conversation. We’re here to help them, and we want them to rely on us and trust us. We don’t lose sight of our core values, and I think that makes a big difference for us.”
Fraley is eager to learn the ins and outs of his new job, and is still in the process of settling into his new schedule. He sees every challenge as something to embrace and is looking forward to finding ways to help BucherTech grow and his clients succeed.
“I’d say that my days are about taking on big problems that may be intimidating to someone else, breaking them down into pieces that can make people feel good about what they’re doing,” he said. “I enjoy the challenge of seeing through all the noise and breaking things down into manageable chunks. At the end of day, going through that process leaves you satisfied about the progress that you’re making and the things you’re ticking off a list.”
To learn more about BucherTech and its full array of services, visit buchertech.com.
