Question: What does Cornerstone have in common with three constructions companies, an HVAC company, and a number of restaurants and breweries?
Answer: We are all members of an exceptional new group of businesses that our community has dubbed the “Fast 15!” – reserved for the 15 fastest growing companies in our corner of paradise that is Bloomington, Indiana.
… And as a company who processes travel data on a global scale, we don’t use the word “paradise” lightly.
A Community Effort
“I think it’s important to recognize that a growing company contributes to its community. In this case, it’s about creating employment opportunities that the Fast 15 are helping to make Bloomington a viable option for professionals. All these companies help make Bloomington a better place to work and live…”
Mat Orrego, Cornerstone CEO and Founder
Bloomington, Indiana, USA is an American midwestern hotbed for tech, culture, and startups of all kinds. While our raw numbers might not compare to those of Silicon Valley just yet, there are plenty of reasons to believe that our city has moved well passed the humble designation of “college town”, and is becoming something far more. In fact, the past decade has seen Bloomington adopt or found more startups than many other cities in America’s heartland. Cornerstone has been excited to help foster this community, particularly with their ongoing sponsorship of The Dimension Mill – a “business incubator” and coworking space dedicated to helping these local startups hatch.
According to midweststartups.com which keeps a close track of these figures, Bloomington jumped up three ranks in 2019 to be placed #17 overall. Our nearby neighbor Indianapolis also climbed the ranks, securing the #4 slot overall. As that website says “capital here is flowing and growing”.
While Cornerstone itself is an established company that has not been considered a startup for well over two decades, this shows how much of a wonderful growth-focused community we are surrounded by. We are seeing a non-stop influx of new talent and raw ideas coming in to our community – and Cornerstone is excited to be recognized for our participation and contributions!
As Cornerstone CFO, Shaun McDermott said of this announcement: “We’re proud to support the technology community here, and very proud to call Bloomington our home.”
A Beating Heart For Midwestern Tech Growth
“Cornerstone is very pleased to be recognized in the inaugural Fast 15! as one of the fastest growing companies in the vibrant tech scene of Bloomington, Indiana. As one of the most established recipients of the award (27 years and counting!), it’s exciting to be among other high-growth innovators.”
– Shaun McDermott, Cornerstone CFO
The aforementioned startups are an exciting measurement of a community’s growth to be sure, but the “Fast 15” businesses go well beyond this stage. Bloomington isn’t going to stop supporting it’s businesses once they grow in to established ventures. Quite the opposite — a quick glance at Cornerstone’s fellow “Fast 15” colleagues proves that Bloomington is a fertile ground for a tech company in any stage of its existence. In fact, of the five technology companies named to this list, the youngest is 15 years old.
Having been a Cornerstone (pun intended!) of the Bloomington tech community since 1992, Cornerstone Information Systems has been driven to help develop our home since our inception 27 years ago. According to Cornerstone’s COO Ron Childress:
“Being in the heartbeat of downtown Bloomington also brings a community of workers who can enjoy the benefits that all the local culture has to offer and therefore impact future recruitment of talent to the Bloomington area.
When done correctly, these efforts create a positive feedback for both Cornerstone’s community and its clients. Growth equals investment. Investment equals growth. Childress purports that:
“Our growth will allow Cornerstone to invest in solutions and technology improvements that will allow our customers to improve productivity, efficiency, and cost management.”
Long story short, if Bloomington is growing and fostering this environment, technology companies and talent will continue to flock here. And of course, the more resources we have … the more innovative we can be and the better we can serve our own clients, no matter where they are located.
Looking To The Future
Growth isn’t just something you say and hope for. It’s something that you strive for year after year, even in your daily business. It’s more than just numbers on a spreadsheet – it’s a commitment and a mindset. Cornerstone has been able to achieve “rapid growth” in all of its years, rising from a small business to the multi-million dollar entity that it is today because of the dedication of its employees and its vision of the future.
Growth is also part of the community. According to Cornerstone CEO Mat Orrego, “Cornerstone is proud of its 27 year history of creating jobs that have helped contribute to the communities where our employees work.” Bloomington means a lot to our company and our employees. It’s not just a random location from where we chose to operate … it’s home.
But today’s world is also an ever growing one in which an incubator like Bloomington has access to the wider world. “The travel industry has helped bring the world together” says Orrego. Cornerstone is acutely aware that this midwestern city is a launch pad into the greater world.
I believe that our efforts in working with some of the largest brands in the travel industry has helped create a global awareness of what we share in common.”
Mat Orrego, Cornerstone CEO and Founder
And that globalization is the biggest KPI of all. Having clients on 6 continents, Cornerstone Information Systems is excited to continue growing in Bloomington … and also to bring Bloomington up along with us.
We’d like to extend our thanks to both the Herald Times and the Dimension Mill for their creation of the “Fast 15” list, and for recognizing us and all of our compatriots on it. You are both wonderful and integral contributors to the Bloomington community, and we appreciate all that you do for our great city!