Our History

When Fred Ode, founder and CEO of Foundation Software, started his company in 1985, he had a single hope: to build a company that would be a dominant force in the construction accounting software industry. A high school math teacher turned computer programmer and entrepreneur, Mr. Ode didn’t always have such an intense focus. Throughout his twenties, he fluctuated between teaching and traveling extensively across the United States and Europe, sometimes with little more than a backpack and pocket change. It wasn’t until he enrolled in an MBA course at Cleveland State University that he discovered his true passion – programming.

After working for several years as the lead programmer analyst for a large contractor, Mr. Ode designed and wrote the original version of his construction accounting software, the Wang mini-computer-based Foundation Accounting System. This version quickly transformed into a DOS-based system.

Foundation Software's early years were lean. With just two employees, Mr. Ode wore the hat of programmer, salesman, marketer and support rep. By 1991, the company began to experience rapid growth in terms of both employees and sales. After four and a half years of programming, development and careful testing, Foundation Software launched its third product, FOUNDATION for Windows construction accounting software, in 2000.