A lesson Donald Thompson learned early in his career was that, if you can deliver results, people will find a place for you.

“I saw an opportunity to make an impact,” says Thompson, president and member of the board of directors of Integrated Industrial Information Inc. (I-Cubed).
Thompson, who joined I-Cubed as a sales representative in 1996, showed his motivation and willingness to learn. This did not go unnoticed by founder and former president Grant Willard, who honored his commitment to prepare Thompson for potential career advancements.

“I am very performance driven and fortunate to find a company that measures results, not simply your educational credentials,” Thompson says.

I-Cubed, founded in 1984, transformed from a project from Willard’s graduate studies at N.C. State University into a full-fledged business. Benefiting from access to an educational environment, I-Cubed has been located on N.C. State University’s Centennial Campus for more than four years. With 20 employees and semester-long interns, I-Cubed delivers software solutions to engineering organizations that allow them to better manage, share and secure complex design information.

With 15 years of experience, Thompson, who was an entrepreneur at age 19 and a student of East Carolina University, is focused on developing the strategic direction of I-Cubed — including managing, selecting and coaching the software team.
“We are a small company that delivers products to some of the largest companies in the world,” he says.

Serving clients such as Adobe Systems, Black and Decker, PTC and strategic military contractors, I-Cubed maintains its small company feel even as it delivers globally.

In transition

“We are transitioning I-Cubed into an employee-owned company, where after one year with the company, employees will have the opportunity for ownership based on the value of their contribution,” says Thompson.
Along with becoming an employee-owned company, I-Cubed is also exploring the area of Digital Rights Management, under the leadership of its Vice President of Technology Mark Winnie.

“As more people share information electronically, there is a growing demand to ensure that information is accessed by its intended recipient,” Thompson says. “With the assistance of partners and customers we are developing a suite of solutions that will enhance electronic data sharing in a protected manner.”

Fostering interns

Following Willard’s example, I-Cubed remains a place where interns can develop their technical and professional skills in a fun environment.
“A lot of what I learned over the last decade was from working closely with Grant Willard and applying the lessons of my parents, who cultivated a competitive spirit with a desire to help others,” says Thompson.

With more than 50 percent of I-Cubed’s employees once having served as the company’s interns, Thompson believes the environment of Centennial Campus will continue to drive talented and creative interns to apply for I-Cubed’s paid internship
program.

“Talent acquisition is key to remaining competitive in the technology business,” Thompson says. “Our ability to work with interns gives us a better idea of the total person before we make a commitment for a full-time hire.”
As Thompson emphasized, employees of I-Cubed are not only software developers, but key contributors in the overall project success for its clients. He says his team takes pride in the fact that Fortune 1000 companies continue to trust
I-Cubed.