Who We Are
The name Blade Technologies, Inc. was first used in 2004 by a collaborative group of professionals who had worked together in various entities for many years. Sharing a common goal of providing enterprise-class consulting to small businesses, Blade quickly became a local industry leader.
In 1995 Scott Schaffer founded his first IT company known as Networx. About ten years later and after many collaborations with Justin Schowalter, they merged with Schowalter & Jabouri Computer Solutions (IT consulting side of Schowalter & Jabouri PC) to become Blade Technologies, Inc. Dennis Schowalter became CEO of the newly merged company, bringing David Mellinger onboard as a Sales Specialist.
In 2011, Blade acquired Network Data Solutions, founded by Marty OBlack. In 1996 after a career with Digital Equipment Corporation (now part of HP.) Marty recognized the needs of smaller customers were often underserved. Unless clients had large projects or budgets, it was difficult for them to get information technology assistance. Believing he could provide these services for smaller firms at reasonable costs, Marty began operating Network Data Corporation in Chesterfield, MO in 1996.
In 2014, Blade acquired UltraTech Resources. UltraTech Resources was formed from the internal support staff of SyllogisTeks. This helped provide better internal support and relationship management for the firm’s clients. The combination of the teams from SyllogisTeks and UltraTech Resources only added to Blade’s expertise. In 2008, UltraTech Resources began a Managed Services practice. The goal of this practice was to provide clients the option of remote support and management coupled with added services. These services included desktop updates, managed anti-virus and other services which could be delivered remotely.
Now, nearly 20 years after its official formation and with 10 dedicated remote helpdesk, 7 high level onsite technicians, 2 CISSP’s, 1 Certified Ethical Hacker, and 6 seasoned office staff, Blade Technologies continues to provide strategic technology sales, support, and consulting to businesses and organizations in the St. Louis, MO region. Our award-winning services have grown to include everything from network support and IT project management, to a full-blown cybersecurity suite and vCIO services to help businesses get the most out of their IT infrastructure.
Blade has measurably increased the productivity of numerous businesses and organizations in the medical, legal, financial, manufacturing, distribution, and professional fields. Our commitment to providing the best IT consulting services at a reasonable cost has led us to continue to innovate and incorporate the latest in industry technology.
Meet Our IT Experts
Blade’s shareholders are also our key employees, possessing significant experience in IT consulting as well as other professional services. Our leadership team's industry-specific knowledge and general business intellect help drive the excellent support and strategic direction provided to our clients.
David Mellinger
President & CEO
With a background in marketing, technology, and customer service, David is responsible for leading the firm as well as daily operations guaranteeing that services are delivered in a timely, quality manner. A graduate of the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, David furthered his education obtaining his MBA from the Olin School of Business at Washington University in St. Louis. He ensures that Blade’s solutions are business solutions, not just technical solutions. David is a craft beer afficionado, movie fan and video game nerd when not spending time with his wife and children.
Justin Schowalter
CTO
A graduate of the University of Missouri, Justin’s impressive technical and business consulting skills are the result of Blade’s mentoring and training programs. Justin is the internal expert for several technology platforms and a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP). Justin has over 15 years of technical and business consulting for small and medium sized I.T. environments. In his free time, Justin enjoys spending time with his family.
Scott Schaffer
Founder and Chief Information Security Officer
Scott graduated from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and has continued to serve the IT industry for over 35 years. He assists many companies around the state of Missouri and the nation at large in IT security related issues, as well as insuring that Blade is secure and optimally prepared. Scott has made hundreds of radio and TV guest appearances to educate audiences the importance of technology, cyber security, and digital forensics. Scott has tremendous interest in and is a huge fan of anything space-related, from NASA launches and astronomy to Star Trek.
John Hugery
VP Engineering
An Electrical Engineer who graduated from Milwaukee School of Engineering with thirty years’ experience in the industry, John is relied upon internally and externally for his vast technological knowledge. John is a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), Amazon Web Services (AWS) Certified Solution Architect, Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), among many others. Aside from his responsibilities in delivering high-level consulting and implementation to our clients, John also fulfills the critical role of mentoring the technical staff. John is constantly investigating new technologies and devices to determine appropriate solutions to clients’ business issues. He regularly enjoys model shipbuilding and railroading, as well as robotics.
Dennis Schowalter
Dennis brings 40 years of accounting and business leadership experience to Blade. During Vietnam, Dennis served as a Captain in the Army and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. As one of the founders of Schowalter & Jabouri, P.C., a leading accounting firm in the St. Louis region, Dennis provides a keen financial insight that is often lacking in other IT firms. An avid sports fan, Dennis balances his time between watching the Cardinals and spending time with his three grandchildren.
Giving Back
At Blade, we believe in giving back to the community through ongoing education for companies throughout the St. Louis area. From giving company presentations on the latest technology topics to assisting with various non-profit organizations, we believe our company is only as strong as the city we support.
Our latest contributions support the following organizations:
- Tapestry of Community Offerings (TOCO)
- Heartland Humane Society’s Panting for Paws 5K
Contact Blade Today
When you work with Blade, you work with a team of IT experts who truly care about your business. We work hard to keep your systems running so you can be productive and efficient. Contact our team today to get started.
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