Soaring to New Heights

- continued -

 

"When Carolina Freight sold out in 1995, we were all out of work at the same time," said Rudasill, Phoenix president.  "We purchased the software we developed over the 20 years at Carolina Freight, put together a business plan and our company.  We put the software on a similar machine and offered services to a Midwest trucking company, the rest as they say is history."

 

The partners chose the name Phoenix because their rise to success from the dust of lost careers resembles the tale of the mythical fiery bird rising from death to life, he said.  From humble beginnings and 10 employees, the company now employs about 60 workers and spans the nation with offices in Kansas and Iowa.

 

"We thought we'd have 10 people for a good, long time," Rudasill said.  "I don't have any immediate openings, but as the business expands, we'll need to have more people to make it happen."  Rudasill said he and his partners realize that there are only so many transportation companies out there to serve.

 

"We provide everything from inventory management of equipment to the entry of the bills for transportation (documents that move a piece of freight), complete accounting functions, accounts receivable and payable, payroll processing, sales and marketing," he said.  "We want to be a company that provides different services to different industries."  Rudasill said he believes document imaging will open the door to job opportunities at businesses that need to outsource or expand their MIS capabilities.  "There is a wide section of services we provide," he said.  These services include general consulting, systems analysis, applying automation, designing systems from the ground up and application development.

 

"We can do everything from client-server based systems to mainframe systems," Rudasill said.  "We also do network design, wide area or local area networks."

 

Seeking money to back their venture in 1996, the partners came in contact with TransFinancial Holding Inc., in Lenexa, Kansas.  "They said, 'We'd like you guys to be part of our company and not just a vendor,'" Rudasill said.  Today, that holding company owns both Phoenix and its sister company next door, Custom Client Services Inc.

 

In August, the Gaston County commissioners recognized Phoenix Computer Service Inc. as an outstanding corporate citizen.