November 2000

CADgraphics Software Moves to North Dakota

November 14, 2000 - North Dakota will be the new home of a high-tech company this December, when the makers of CADgraphics software move the business to Devils Lake. The transfer will make it possible to grow the company into one of the nation's most visible providers of fire alarm and security software.

"I really think this is the best of all possible worlds," said CADgraphics founder and president, Dan Horon. "We'll be able to hire the people we need to expand, and we'll be able to bring new business to the company and the community."

CADgraphics, which is currently based in St. Paul, Minn., is a division of Horon Research Incorporated. Dan Horon and his wife, Corrine Kenner, own the company. Kenner is a native of Devils Lake.

The company will immediately hire a marketing director, a technical specialist, and a business manager, Horon said. The company also plans to offer training seminars in Devils Lake for its customers from across the country.

The Forward Devils Lake Development Corporation and North Dakota's Department of Economic Development and Finance are sponsoring the move. "CADgraphics is exactly the kind of company we like to find." said Jim Dahlen, executive director of the Devils Lake group. "It's a high-tech business, it's going to hire professional people at competitive salaries, and it's going to bring a former North Dakota resident and her family back to the state.

The company's patent-pending software, CADgraphics, enhances security in buildings around the world. It's used in skyscrapers, hospitals, hotels, shopping malls, and universities. Once installed, the software constantly monitors smoke detectors, fire alarms, and security systems. During emergencies, CADgraphics automatically alerts security teams and provides rescue workers with color-coded lists of alarms, maps, floor plans, and customized emergency instructions.

"It's a great tool for building owners and security experts who want to protect people and property." Horon said. "Fire alarm systems can be incredibly complicated, but this software makes them easier to understand."

CADgraphics boasts an impressive roster of customers, including 3M, AT&T, Bank of America, Delta Airlines, Goodyear, Harvard, Levi Straus, the Mayo Clinic, MCI, Pacific Bell, United Airlines, and Westinghouse. Most clients are based in the United States, but the software is also used in Canada, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Guam, and Taiwan.

CADgraphics is sold through a wide range of fire-alarm manufacturers and distributors, as well as through the company's website at www.horonresearch.com . Typically, the company mails software CDs to its customers and provides follow-up service and updates via the Internet.

The availability of state-of-the-art web technology was a major factor in Horon's decision to move.

"I've been running the company from the Twin Cities for eight years," Horon said, "but the Internet has made it less and less important for me to be in a metropolitan area. At this point, we can run the business from anywhere with a phone, a DSL connection, and a post office."

The decision to move to North Dakota was easy, Horon said. "The quality of life is so high." He said. "I really like the friendly attitude and the work ethic of everyone I've met in North Dakota. And I knew we had to come to Devils Lake when I saw the computer classrooms at Lake Region State College. The school has some of the best training facilities I've ever seen, anywhere in the country. A lot of our customers are also hunting and fishing enthusiasts, and several of them have already told me they can't wait to come to Devils Lake for training.

Horon grew up in Michigan and Minnesota. As a Minnesota fire systems engineer, he helped design and maintain fire and security systems in Bismarck, Minot, and Grand Forks. In 1988, he developed the first version of CADgraphics software, which worked with early DOS-based computers. For the next five years, he continually refined the system. In 1993, he founded Horon Research and began to develop and sell CADgraphics full time. In 1998, Horon contracted two software programmers to convert his DOS-based software to a Windows platform.

Horon's wife, Corrine Kenner, is the company's communications director. She is a former newspaper reporter, magazine editor, and publicist, and she is the author of several published works. She earned an associate's degree at Lake Region Community College, studied journalism at the University of North Dakota and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in philosophy from California State University, Long Beach.

The couple has three daughters: Kate, 11; Emily, 8; and Coyla, 6.