22 LONGISLANDPRESS.COM • APRIL 2019
CORNER OFFICE
CUSTOM COMPUTER SPECIALISTS CEO GREG GALDI
EYEING TECH’S FUTURE By JAMES BERNSTEIN
Gregory Galdi is the founder and
CEO of Custom Computer Specialists.
Before founding Custom in 1979, Greg
worked as a chemist at Brookhaven
National Laboratory on projects such
as radioactive waste management
and hydrogen storage processes. It
was there that he was introduced to
technology and its ability to increase
speed and productivity. Greg is a
member of the Young Presidents’
Organization, a three-time Entrepreneur
of the Year finalist, and
recipient of Southampton College’s
Distinguished Alumnus Award. He
is an auto racing enthusiast and a
member of the Sportscar Vintage
Racing Association. Greg graduated
from Long Island University with a
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry.
What does Custom Computer
Specialists do? We consist of three
companies. The first part manages
the operation of Interventional Radiology
Departments at hospitals.
This software schedules procedures
and maintains inventories of stock
of perishable medical devices such
as stents that maintain blood flow
in arteries. We are also a reseller
of Infinite Campus, a K-12 student
information management system
that is a best-in-class, top-tier system.
Used by many Long Island districts to
manage student records and record
student progress, it also has a student
portal where parents can monitor
their child's progress and check
homework. The third division is an
infrastructure and Unified Communications
technology design and
managed service support organization.
We supply technology support,
solutions and resources for cities,
towns, school districts and healthcare
facilities from Philadelphia to Boston.
How did you begin your career?
I began my career as a chemist at
Brookhaven National Lab, working
on radioactive waste storage. Part of
my job was to work with computers.
I would work daytime at BNL and
nights I would write computer programs.
I had a keen interest in that.
My dad had a Wall Street business,
and I also did computer work for him.
When did your company get
started? In May 1979. We had three
employees back then. Now, we have
300. We have 100,000 square feet of
space in Hauppauge. We also have a
location at One Penn Plaza in Manhattan
and a facility in Rhode Island. Our
sales are about $60 million a year.
Tell me what’s most important about
your business these days. Back in
1980, hardware was very important.
Now, it’s all about professional services.
All our staff members have to
interface with customers. Everybody
has to have a customer service gene.
We even evaluate their abilities for
that during the hiring process.
Is everybody here computer literate?
In 1990, I had 80 to 90 people
here. I was the smartest one. By 1991,
I wasn’t the smartest one. That’s how
fast this industry changes. It’s very
difficult these days for someone to
know everything. At the highest
levels here, only maybe 10 percent
can reach a point where
they grasp all the software
defined network designs and
nuances.
You mentioned earlier an
interesting meeting you had
in 1985 with Steve Jobs, Bill
Gates, and others. What did
you come away with from
that meeting? That opened
the door for me to meet with senior
executives of Apple and Microsoft. I
was able to meet with them and bring
back information about the industry
to Wall Street and other firms. I
also remember Jobs and Gates were
talking on a pretty out-of-the-box
level. It was fascinating.
Tech is growing so rapidly it’s sometimes
scary. Do we know where it’s
all going? It is going fast. These days,
you have someone like Elon Musk.
He’s the Leonardo da Vinci of our
times. We saw him launch rockets
and retreive them intact. standing
straight up! Right out of the 50s
science fiction movies. These times
are similar to the beginnings of the
Industrial Revolution. A lot of
people then were left behind
by progress. But
things smoothed
out. I think we will
see that happen
again. Technology
does present
challenges when
it enters personal
relationships, as
it does today. But
we will find better
ways to use technology.
What’s the biggest advance you
have seen in your years in the
industry? That would be when the
internet emerged from the labs.
We were then able to communicate
instantly around the world as we
never had been able to do. It has all
had a tremendous disruptive effect.
Where are we headed? When I
founded Custom 40 years ago, I never
imagined technology would be where
it is today. I see in the future more
virtual reality, more robotics and
3-D printing. Virtual reality allows
someone to transport themselves,
like maybe a surgeon who wants to
assist in an operation. It’s the modern
day technological equivalent of
the industrial revolution. We’re just
in our infancy with all of this now.
We should enjoy how rapidly
technology is changing our
lives today... Because it will
never move this slowly
again!
"We should enjoy how rapidly technology is
changing our lives today... Because it will never
move this slowly again!"
Greg Galdi is
founder and CEO of
Hauppauge-based
Custom Computer
Specialists.
/LONGISLANDPRESS.COM
