IRVINE, Calif. - (Business Wire) George Klaus, Executive Chairman of the Board of Epicor Software Corporation (NASDAQ: EPIC), was honored with the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award by the Technology Council of Southern California acknowledging his contributions, dedication and commitment toward driving growth and innovation in the technology industry. The prestigious award was presented to Klaus last night at the annual Technology Industry Awards gala held at the historic Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.
The Technology Industry Awards, now in its fourteenth year, recognize industry leaders and companies that have made extraordinary contributions to the growth of Southern California as a center for technological innovation. The Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor the Technology Council bestows, and Klaus is only the third recipient since the inception of the Technology Industry Awards program.
“Accepting this award from the Technology Council was a great honor and an emotional moment for me, and it was extremely gratifying to share the experience with my family, friends, colleagues and other industry leaders,” said George Klaus, executive chairman of the board for Epicor. “Having recently transitioned into the role of executive chairman, I am looking forward to seeing the continued growth and success of Epicor’s business, as well as the continued growth of Southern California as a hotbed of technology leadership and innovation.”
Klaus joined Epicor as CEO in 1996 and successfully grew the Company from a $30 million accounting software vendor to the leading enterprise software solution provider Epicor is today, expecting to do in excess of a half a billion dollars in revenue in 2008. Drawing from his more than 30 years of experience in the high technology industry, Klaus has led Epicor to its current position as the sixth largest global enterprise resource planning (ERP) provider, growing faster than any other vendor in the space according to industry analyst reports.
Klaus first attained industry prominence as president of Frame Technology in the 1990’s when he returned that company to profitability within his second quarter after coming on board. He was instrumental in changing Wall Street’s assessment of Frame from a “turnaround” story to a strong growth story. Additionally, Klaus directed company negotiations with Adobe Systems for a strategic acquisition beneficial to customers, employees and shareholders.
A recurring theme in Klaus’ career of restoring shareholder confidence and rebuilding corporate stability for high technology companies is his unwavering focus on what’s best for the customer. The adage “customers, employees, shareholders – and in that order,” is a well known philosophy among those who’ve worked with Klaus. Placing customers at the center of the business has served Klaus and the companies he has led to success well, including Cadence Design Systems, VALID and Hughes LAN Systems.
In addition to his professional achievements Klaus, a former Marine, currently serves on the University of California, Irvine - Information and Computer Science CEO Advisory Board and the Chief Executive Roundtable. He previously served on the Board of Directors/Advisors at FileNet Corporation, Broadview Capital Partners and Blaze Software.
“George exemplifies everything our Council and our most prestigious award represents,” said Catrina Luedtke, executive director of the Technology Council. “He has been a driving force in the growth and success of Southern California’s technology industry, with a vision that has enabled Epicor to become recognized as a worldwide leader in the software applications marketplace. His vision, leadership and unwavering focus on driving incredibly successful businesses by ensuring that customers are his top priority, are to be commended. George’s efforts over the years have contributed to the success of every one of the companies he has led, as well as to the ability of his customers to achieve even greater business success.”
In addition to receiving “CEO of the Year” honors from the Technology Council in 2007 and 2004, Klaus also accepted “Company of the Year” awards on behalf of Epicor from the Technology Council in 2005 and 2006.
About the Technology Council of Southern California
The Technology Council of Southern California is the premier forum for the region’s technology leaders, providing events, connections, information and resources to help technology companies succeed. From recognizing excellence in innovation through its annual awards event to providing access to funding through VentureNet, the Technology Council supports companies throughout their entire corporate lifecycles. Founded in 1991 as the Software Council of Southern California, the Technology Council has a 16-year history of supporting technology companies across the region. For more information, visit www.tcosc.org.
About Epicor Software Corporation
Epicor is a global leader dedicated to providing integrated enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management (SCM) and professional services automation (PSA) software solutions to the midmarket and divisions of Global 1000 companies. Founded in 1984, Epicor serves over 20,000 customers in more than 140 countries, providing solutions in over 30 languages. Employing innovative service-oriented architecture (SOA) and Web services technology, Epicor delivers end-to-end, industry-specific solutions for manufacturing, distribution, retail, hospitality and services that enable companies to drive increased efficiency, improve performance and build competitive advantage. Epicor solutions provide the scalability and flexibility to meet today’s business challenges, while empowering enterprises for even greater success tomorrow. Epicor offers a comprehensive range of services with its solutions, providing a single point of accountability to promote rapid return on investment and low total cost of ownership. Epicor’s worldwide headquarters are located in Irvine, California, with offices and affiliates around the world. For more information, visit www.epicor.com.
Epicor is a registered trademark of Epicor Software Corporation. Other trademarks referenced are the property of their respective owners.
Epicor Software Corporation
Ally Arguello, 949-585-4574
aarguello@epicor.com
