“I like to push myself to the absolute limits in everything I do,” Bill Bither, Co-founder and CEO of MachineMetrics

It has been debated for a lot many years on whether a person is born an entrepreneur or is it the spirit that someone can acquire through sheer willpower and hard work. While it is unlikely that we will get an answer to that question, we all know entrepreneurs are the hardest workers around. They do not have any fixed hours, skirt around sleep schedules, and are not averse to adversities (in fact relish them!). They are always up for improving their knowledge base. They always seek to upgrade their perspective which could, in turn, give them ideas for the future. Restless as they are, they change the world when they want. One such disrupter is Bill Bither, co-founder and CEO of MachineMetrics, who has been working non-stop all his life.

Bill Bither in the software field is known to be a serial entrepreneur. But before the entrepreneurial bug bit him he spent his time working at Hamilton Sundstrand which is a subsidiary of United Technologies. It is an aerospace manufacturing company and it is here where he learned his way around the workings that go on in the machine shop. He joined Hamilton Sundstrand as a mechanical design engineer and worked his way up to the designation of a mechanical systems engineer.

He began his entrepreneurial adventure with Atalasoft. In 2002, he founded Atalasoft from his living room and helped it grow to the ‘Best Company to Work for’ in western Massachusetts. He worked tirelessly that first year, managing two jobs at a time. He seldom completed his sleep and sometimes found himself sleeping during team meetings at Hamilton Sundstrand. But his work schedule was vindicated when he made $88,000 in that first year. This number was more than he made as a full-time employee at Hamilton Sundstrand. Years later, in 2008, the company was recognized by the Inc. magazine as one of the 100 fastest-growing software companies.

He prides himself on surrounding himself with people who are smarter than him. Also recruits his employees walking on this philosophy. His employees from Atalasoft remember him for the care he showed to them. This reflected in the company’s policies and his personal interactions too. He was able to drive the company that had only 25 employees, to profits that attracted a global buyer.

Kofax bought out Atalasoft in 2011. According to Kofax, it bought out all of Atalasoft’s stock for $5.5 million in cash, with $4.7 million paid upon closing of the sale and the remainder to be paid a year later. But he continued his association with the company that he started by working as General Manager till 2014.

MachineMetrics

Robots and automation were introduced as Industry 3.0 solutions where the robots replaced humans in the assembly line during the manufacturing process. Industry 4.0 although is all about the “smart”. It is this Industry 4.0 solution that MachineMetrics was founded.

Bill Bither co-founded MachineMetrics in 2014. Along with Jacob Lauzier, he built the company to help businesses increase their productivity through their industrial IoT platform and Industry 4.0 Solutions. He says that the company helps its partners increase their productivity by 20%! MachineMetrics optimizes the factory floor by better and efficient management.

CNC machining is one of the most important ways the manufacturing sector augments its manufacturing capabilities and its output. The lathes, the mills, routers, and machine tools need to work fast and in an efficient manner. If the CNC machines do not work smoothly, it can impact the manufacturing numbers significantly. MachineMetrics helps companies achieve sustainable output with its robust Industrial IoT platform by optimizing every process of the CNC machine.

Early years

In a manner of speaking, Bill started early. He discovered that he was interested in design, math, and science very early. He started a lawn-mowing business when he was a kid. He used to track his sales and customers on a spreadsheet on his Commodore 64 computer. His vision and work ethic even when he was that young was a build-up to his later years as an entrepreneur.

His father was a mechanic. He grew up dreaming of designing cars and airplanes. His interests led him to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute after his school. He obtained his BSME in mechanical engineering here. And then went on to work for Hamilton Sundstrand as a mechanical design engineer.

Run Forrest run!

You have to envy how much entrepreneurs and CEO can achieve in a short span of time. Running is a big part of Bill’s life. He loves to run. He used to train with a colleague of his when he founded Atalasoft back in 2002. He has run trails and marathons for many years now. In his forties now, the entrepreneur/CEO is still baby-faced and looks far too young for his age. With time he has also become a cyclist, an avid skier, and a crossfitter too.

Under his leadership, MachineMetrics is thriving and growing. His company was recently recognized as the “Smart Manufacturing Solution of the year” by IoT Breakthrough Award.

"Digitize your factory and increase productivity by keeping your equipment running."

"We're on a mission to make working life simpler, more pleasant and more productive for everyone."