Philip Laney became B&L Information Systems' President in May of 1999, after serving as Manager in the Client Services and the Business Development departments. His 30 plus years in the software business and his customer-focused background give him a unique perspective in today's business technology environment. Philip is second-generation ownership. His father, Dick Laney, founded B&L in 1976.
After implementing Philip's team management philosophy of running the business, B&L has led the way in business innovations including market-changing products such as Odyssey (B&L's Windows-based product), Odyssey SaaS (Software as a Service) in 2009 and Odyssey evolution to a Web UI (User Interface) in 2015. Philip has been published in Die Cast Engineer, Modern Castings, and Foundry Management & Technology; and he is a sought-after speaker for various industry events. Philip also serves on the board of the Cornerstone Chamber of Commerce.
Philip earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Ferris State University. In his spare time, Philip and his wife Becky enjoy traveling, golf, and boating as well as attending their 3 children's varied activities.
Brad Clark joined B&L in 2000 as a Software Development Engineer. In 2013, Brad became the Odyssey Product Manager where his responsibilities included: managing Progress Software Corporation development tools used by Odyssey; researching and recommending back-end technologies for Odyssey; and coordinating Odyssey development with the user interface team. Brad was an integral part of the development of the Odyssey Web User Interface (Web UI), B&L's browser-based ERP. In 2018, Brad took over the day-to-day management responsibilities of the Research & Development department.
Brad has a Bachelor of Science degree in Software Engineering from Western Michigan University. In his free time, he enjoys fitness activities (running half marathons and bicycling), spending time with his wife and children, and volunteering with the local high school athletic department. Brad umpires for the local youth baseball organization and is a published author.
Jim Eaton has been with B&L since 2019. Eaton has many years of experience in executive sales management, product development and manufacturing engineering in the aerospace, heavy truck, automotive and off-road industries. Eaton holds an MBA from Indiana University's Kelley School of Business and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University.
Kristine Craft heads up the software implementation team and oversees all client training, including creating new training programs as well as the curriculum for B&L's annual users' conference, Spectrum, which is B&L's premier customer event.
Within B&L, Kristine is known for her client-focused training innovations and striving to implement new customers in a consistent manner by developing internal materials and more training to help consultants. Since assuming the management of the Professional Services Department in early 2014, Kristine has been responsible for the creation of the Odyssey Accounting Class and the Odyssey Web User Interface Class as well as revamping the class manuals.
For the 2014 Spectrum, she brought shop floor data entry to life with the MetalCasters' Room where attendees directly interacted with Odyssey's Shop Floor Manager as if in a production mode on a variety of display devices commonly used in production environments.
Prior to joining B&L as a Project Consultant in 2005, Kristine was Accounting Manager at Plastic Masters, Inc. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, Management and Operations from the Indiana Institute of Technology and in 2010 updated her focus on financials with a Certificate in the Fundamentals of Cost Accounting from the American Management Association. In her spare time Kristine enjoys golfing, walking, biking, cross country skiing, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.
Emily Frazier joined B&L Information Systems as Controller in February of 2024. She graduated from Central Michigan University in May of 2021 with a Master's Degree in Public Administration. She has previous controller and accounting experience within the Auto Industry and is currently working on the requirements to become a CPA.