TECHburgher :: Putting some sizzle in the Pittsburgh technology sector.

Nothing like getting solid proof that there are tech companies in the Pittsburgh region kicking some proverbial butt despite the economy. There are success stories out there. You just don’t hear about them much, but the old Techburgher takes care of that…  

Techburgher just got wind that Lucas Systems, Inc., a provider of voice-directed warehouse applications for open, mobile computers, reported significant revenue and profit growth in 2008, and announced two additions to its management team.  Now, that’s a double shot of excellent news!

According to the company, net income increased 39 percent in 2008 compared to 2007, and revenue grew more than 10 percent for the year, including significant growth in the fourth quarter. New executive managers are James Margaria, Director of Engineering, and Christopher Sweeney, Senior Vice President.

“2008 was a difficult year for many companies, yet we managed to grow our revenues, profits, and market share in a tough, competitive environment,” said Jeff Slevin, COO of Lucas Systems. “Retailers and wholesale distributors continue to recognize the value of our comprehensive, configurable Jennifer™ voice applications that deliver a rapid, significant ROI. We are also benefiting from the market transition away from voice-only hardware terminals to industry standard mobile computers that reduce operating costs for customers. As the leader in hardware-independent voice applications with a large and loyal customer base, we are well positioned to continue to grow our market share in the warehouse voice market, even as the economy continues to struggle in 2009.”

Significant new customer projects in 2008 included Do it Best Corp., Cornerstone Brands, and Henry Schein. Lucas also earned significant new business from long-time customers, including OfficeMax and C&S Wholesale Grocers. In late 2008, the company signed two of the largest voice application projects in the industry with leading multi-site distributors in healthcare and industrial distribution. These two projects are now underway.

To support ongoing growth, Lucas continues to add technical, sales and support staff in Pittsburgh and in its satellite office in Colorado. Lucas also announced two new members of the executive management team. James Margaria joined Lucas in the fourth quarter of 2008 and Chris Sweeney is joining Lucas at the start of April.