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Get to know Qnect.

At Qnect, we are helping to build a strong and sustainable construction economy. Located in the technology corridor of Western Massachusetts, our applications and services provide data analytics, time and cost optimization, material optimization, and risk mitigation for the construction industry. Our goal is to revolutionize the productivity of the construction industry across the globe.

Qnect's management team is comprised of business, engineering and software experts with over 100 years of combined experience. We believe in the importance of investing in people, making strong connections and encouraging excellence. By working together we can achieve world-changing breakthroughs; read our Core Values and Social Responsibility or connect with us to learn more.

Our Team

The Qnect Founders have a winning combination of technical experience, software development excellence and 50 continuous years of steel industry domain experience. They have used these assets, plus a great team of engineers, software developers and support staff to build QuickQnect® software. Jef Sharp, CEO; Henry Lederman, EVP; and Jeff Hausthor, COO have built 8 companies and have once again surrounded themselves with a world class team of contributors.

Founders
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Jef Sharp

Chief Executive Officer

"Qnect is the perfect company. Amazing technical talent, groundbreaking ideas combined with practical market driven solutions in an industry that has unlimited potential to benefit from software productivity."

With over 35 years of experience leading and growing tech companies, Sharp is perfectly positioned to maximize the potential of Qnect’s groundbreaking products.

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Jeff A. Hausthor

Chief Operating Officer/CTO

"Delivering world class software is what I do. In the past, I’ve delivered solutions for startups and Fortune 500 companies, so scale and security are no object."

With over 30 years of experience creating systems and disrupting inefficiencies, Hausthor has the big picture, the work flow and the system architecture down to a science.

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Henry Lederman

Executive Vice President

"I dreamt up this software to stay competitive in an industry that has cut costs by outsourcing work to cheaper labor markets. The first step was recognizing there was room for improvement in the three-dimensional system used by steel-detailing companies."

With over 50 years of experience in the structural steel industry, Henry is uniquely able to strategize the best solutions and paths forward to successfully commercialize Qnect. He has detailed many iconic steel projects including the World Trade Center Memorial Museum, airports, 60 story buildings and Disney projects.

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Supporting Cast
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Michael Gustafson, P.E.

Vice President of Strategy and Business Development

"Qnect is doing something very special in the industry. I truly believe we can leave the construction sector in a better place where there is less litigation, waste and carbon footprint on the planet."

Michael is a seasoned business strategist in the AEC tech sector with a focus on structural engineering and fabrication. He practiced as a structural engineer at Ellerbe Becket, holds an MS in Civil Engineering, an MBA from Michael J. Coles College of Business and is a Professional Engineer from California. He is also certified in AI for Business Managers from MIT.

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David Kowalski

Senior Account Manager

"Qnect offers exciting technology I strongly feel will change the way the steel industry manages and advances their business practices. I find it to be very rewarding to work for a company that has the ability to do so much for the steel industry."

David has 23 years of sales experience in business development, operations, sales management and retail sales.

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Sophie Sharp

Manager, Social Media & Marketing

"Working to develop Qnect's media presence has challenged me to understand and appreciate the perspectives of our clients, to encourage online engagement, and to better communicate our company's vision and benefits to the industry."

Sophie is a Junior at Barnard College in New York City, where she studies Sociology and Psychology. She manages Qnect's LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

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Pearl Burgoff

Marketing Lead

"Qnect enables an explosion of efficiency for those in the engineering, fabrication and detailing professions. Exciting opportunities are ahead for the company as we contribute significant innovation in the AEC and industrial workflow."

Pearl graduated summa cum laude from the Isenberg School of Management with a degree in Business Administration and Marketing and a minor in IT. Pearl is committed to creating and implementing strategies that enable Qnect to better meet the needs of its customers while supporting the company’s long-term growth.

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Additional Team Members

In addition to Qnect’s amazing programmers, engineers and detailers, our support staff and advisors are paramount to the success we’ve enjoyed:

Laura Patrick, Office Manager and Logistics Guru
We are intensely focused on systems, organization, scalability and customer service. Patrick tracks every detail and keeps the team on point, on budget and laughing.

Hans Ehrnrooth, Consultant, Advisor
Qnect is the only company with technology to help everyone in the steel fabrication ecosystem. Hans served as President of Tekla North America for 12 years, Nokia Corporation and Nokia Ventures for 11 years. Strategy, sales and marketing have been part of Hans’ responsibilities.

Tim Fraser, PE – Chief Engineer
Fraser sits on three AISC committees and is the go-to-engineer for connection design of any kind. His current committee assignments include the Committee on Manuals, Seismic Design Considerations and Connection Design.

Qnect Development Team

Our amazing team of developers not only ensure our products function properly, but continuously improve our software. They are quick to respond to & resolve any issues that arise and provide excellent customer support on top of it all. We would be nowhere without our developers!

Advisory Board

  • Erleen Hatfield, P.E., AIA 
  • William A. Thornton, PhD, P.E.
  • Irwin M. Heller, J.D.
  • Todd Mitty, PhD
  • Rajeev Surati, PhD
  • Alex Ray
  • Sam Mawn Malau
  • James S. Page

Valued Partners

Nucor Corporation

During NASCC The Steel Conference 2018, Qnect announced that Nucor Corporation (NYSE: NUE) is the lead investor for Qnect's latest funding round."This investment in Qnect emphasizes Nucor's commitment to continuous improvement, our dedication to our customers and our belief that technology will continue to drive the steel industry," said John Hollatz, President of Nucor's Vulcraft / Verco Group. "Nucor is looking forward to working with Qnect as it delivers on its vision of bringing significant efficiencies to the design, fabrication, and erection of steel structures and provides stewardship to the construction process." Read More

Trimble

Trimble serves a variety of industries including agriculture, engineering and construction, transportation and wireless communications infrastructure. Trimble owns Tekla Structures, the leading 3D modeling software platform for the steel industry. QuickQnect is optimized to enhance Tekla Structures and we enjoy a friendly, cooperative relationship.

Walters Group

In July 2015, Walters joined Qnect as a strategic partner. Walters’ over 65 years of fabrication experience will combine with over 50 years of detailing experience at Qnect to advance the process and delivery of connection design for the entire steel industry.