We Hire for Attitude, Not Just Aptitude
Our 22+ engineers are highly certified, but that is not why clients trust them. They are empathetic. They speak clearly. They follow up. We have always believed that the right attitude is harder to find than technical skill, so we hire for it first.
We Fix It Right, Not Just Fast
Band-aids and workarounds are not solutions. Every issue we handle gets resolved at the root cause, because we would rather spend more time solving it properly than keep solving the same problem over again.
We Are Local and We Stay That Way
When you call Ashton, a real Ashton engineer picks up. Not a call center, not someone offshore, not a stranger reading from a script. Someone who knows your systems, your environment, and your business.
We Operate with 100% Transparency
We tell you what we are going to do. Then we do it. One point of truth. No mystery billing, no hidden costs, no overpromising what technology can deliver. That is our culture, not just our policy.
We Focus on Prevention, Not Reaction
Reactive IT is expensive IT. Ashton is built around getting ahead of problems: proactive monitoring, documentation, preparedness planning, and the kind of discipline that keeps issues from becoming incidents in the first place.
Jim Millican
Founder & President
Jim Millican
Founder & President
Jim founded Ashton in 1994 on a simple conviction: technology should serve the business, not the other way around.
Jim Millican
Jim Millican founded Ashton Solutions in 1994 after spending the early part of his career in IT services and realizing that the most valuable thing any provider could do was genuinely understand the business it served. He started Ashton on that idea: not to sell technology, but to solve problems.
Over 30 years, Jim has built Ashton into one of Northeast Ohio's most trusted IT partners by staying focused on what has always mattered: the relationship, the process, and doing things right. He takes particular satisfaction in finding elegant solutions to complex problems that sit at the intersection of technology and business.
Jim is proud to be Ohio-based, and even prouder of the team that Ashton has become. He lives by a few simple principles: humility, root-cause thinking, and the belief that technology that quietly disappears into the background of a client's operations is the best technology of all.
Travis Grundke
Executive Vice President
Travis Grundke
Executive Vice President
A graduate of The College of Wooster, Travis studied International Relations, Spanish and economics. Following college he worked in retail before heading back overseas to Spain for graduate school while acting as the facilities manager for The Hiram House during breaks back in the US. While he developed a great appreciation for Jamón Serano, olive oil and marcona olives he missed leading a team and solving problems.
Travis Grundke
A graduate of The College of Wooster, Travis studied International Relations, Spanish, and Economics. Following college he worked in retail. He attended graduate school in Spain, acting as facilities manager for The Hiram House during his breaks back in the US. While he developed a great appreciation for Jamón Serano, olive oil, and marcona olives, he missed leading a team and solving problems.
It was after his return to the US in 2002 that Jim Millican met up with Travis to gauge his interest in coming to work with him at Ashton. Travis started as a field technician and has worked his way up the ranks, assuming the role of Service Manager in 2010, and Vice President, Operations, in 2020.
Years of experience with closely held businesses, law firms, and non-profits taught him that while the businesses may differ, the challenges they face are quite similar.
Travis enjoys looking for better ways to get things done, with an eye on finding the appropriate solutions to business problems. He has an unsurpassed work ethic which means that we have to ask him (sometimes beg him) to take a vacation.
Travis grew up at The Hiram House in Moreland Hills, where he had a variety of unusual pets including an owl, a pair of oxen, several horses, and a Rhesus monkey. While the animals are now gone, he presently serves as the chair of the Governance Committee on their board of directors.
Jim Abbott
Vice President, Client Solutions
Jim Abbott
Vice President, Client Solutions
Abbott or Abbey as he’s known around our offices (since there was already a Jim on board and the founder takes precedence) is a lifelong resident of the Cleveland area, leads our sales and marketing efforts, and also acts as our Grillmaster in Chief. When not at work, he's with his family and dogs, or skiing, golfing, or fishing.
Jim Abbott
Known as Abbott or Abbey around our offices (since there was already a Jim on board and the founder takes precedence), Jim is a lifelong resident of the Cleveland area. He came to Ashton in 2014 with a wealth of sales and marketing experience (and quite the collection of pants), which is precisely why he’s our sales and marketing manager!
A graduate of University School and The College of Wooster, Jim spent 14 years in a variety of marketing and analytical functions, first with Progressive Insurance, and then with KeyBank. After a stint representing a startup medical device company, Jim combined his sales and marketing background and moved into a lead role with WRIS Web Services. Initially focused on social media, Jim quickly moved into a Director role, charged with new business development and marketing WRIS products and services.
Jim’s ability to build and manage client relationships, combined with his marketing background, allows him to find new opportunities for his customers (and for Ashton), while bringing a variety of solutions to the table. If you have a question or concern about any of Ashton’s service offerings, he’s the guy to call. If you ask nicely, he might even give you some suggestions on your company website, social media, SEO, boat insurance, education loans or fashion (haha)! And if you’re interested, he’ll talk all day about sports, including those he used to coach; hockey, lacrosse, and baseball.
Laura Fisher
Vice President, Client Services
Laura Fisher
Vice President, Client Services
Laura began her Ashton career as our ‘house mother’ (service coordinator) and quickly worked her way up the ranks to Service Manager. A former collegiate lacrosse player (and another College of Wooster alum), she’s all about customer service and building a team. Positivity is key, and Laura’s mantra is “Today is going to be the best day of the year!”
Laura Fisher
The ability to see the positive in each day, and to make people smile, goes a long way. For that reason, Laura lives by the words her husband reminded her of early and often; “Today is going to be the best day of the year.”
Laura entered the world of customer service immediately upon graduating from The College of Wooster, and ended up making a career of it (with a pause for motherhood). While the industries changed (communications, manufacturing, educational services), the theme remained the same; making sure customers were happy. Laura knows that when customers are happy, her team is doing their job.
Always an adventurer, Laura loves to travel. She’s been to 48 of our 50 states (thanks to a college summer spent driving around the country), backpacked throughout Europe, and continues to travel with her family. She and her husband have two adult children.
In addition to the travel bug, Laura grew up playing numerous sports; soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse, and being part of those teams gave her a foundation for working with others. They also fostered her interest in giving back to the sports community, and she has been fortunate enough to coach several youth and high school lacrosse teams, over the years.
With the combination of service and team, it’s almost like Laura was made for her role at Ashton!
Steve Frasher
Service Manager
Steve Frasher
Service Manager
Real name is actually Edward, but also answers to "Big Bird". Enjoys playing video games, building Lego sets, and spending time with his family. Customer service is his background so he enjoys talking with people. Sings baritone in the Ashton choir.
Lisa
Business Administrator
Lisa
Business Administrator
One of the longest-serving members of the team. She’s a Midwesterner who loves oceans, and a Clevelander who loves the Steelers (we let that slide).
Tyler
Engineer Team Lead
Tyler
Engineer Team Lead
When not working, into archery, camping, video games, cars and animals. Studied advertising and marketing in college and trained to be an air traffic controller before moving to IT. Too many office nicknames to list.
Tom
Engineer
Tom
Engineer
Coast Guard veteran. Gave his dogs pop culture-inspired names: Dexter, Jarvis and Jango Fetch. Favorite team: The Avengers. IT career grew out of his interest in gaming.
Justin
Senior Engineer
Justin
Senior Engineer
A.k.a. “Joaks,” an email address that stuck. Interested in cars, autocross, audio equipment, music, movies. Cat owner, Dad. Pre-IT jobs included selling pool tables and hot tubs.
Bret
Senior Engineer
Bret
Senior Engineer
Motorcycle enthusiast who loves dogs. Will help any stray he finds. Won’t take ‘no’ for an answer when it comes to problem solving.
Adam B.
Systems Engineer
Adam B.
Systems Engineer
Happy father and husband. Second generation computer engineer. Enjoys motorcycles and music in his spare time.
Dave
Engineer
Dave
Engineer
Known as ‘Stiles’ or ‘Bubbles’. Video game enthusiast. Grew up playing soccer; good enough to be invited to play in Austria, until he was temporarily paralyzed.
Jeff
Engineer
Jeff
Engineer
Known internally as ‘Silent P’ (ask him). Enjoys sports, video games, and passing time with a good IPA. Is terrible at tennis but will sweat it out nonetheless.
Logan
Engineer
Logan
Engineer
An Eagle Scout who loves the outdoors. A practitioner of Brazilian jujitsu and a Latin dancing aficionado. Tech expert since he was a kid helping all his relatives fix things.
Adam N.
Engineer
Adam N.
Engineer
Majored in criminal justice at YSU. While not working, Adam enjoys the outdoors, cars, sim racing, and extreme sports.
Gabe
Sales Exec
Gabe
Sales Exec
Former enterprise cybersecurity sales exec. Known as Taxy. Girl hockey dad x2. When not at the rink coaching hockey (both youth and high school), Gabe is on his road bike or hitting golf balls. Huge fan of classic dad jokes.
Caleb
Engineer
Caleb
Engineer
University of Akron graduate with a passion for helping people. Enjoys gaming with friends and working on his lab network. Still finds time for Tuba Christmas every year.
Nathan H.
Engineer
Nathan H.
Engineer
Passionate about all things technology, from software to hardware. When not working, Nathan can be found working on motorcycles, hiking trails, or attempting (poorly) to play golf.
Torrey
Service Coordinator
Torrey
Service Coordinator
After over a decade in food service, Torrey decided it was time for a change. He graduated from Kent State University in 2024 while working full-time as a baker, and is now focused on expanding his technical skills. After work you can usually find him playing video games, watching sports, or spending time with his friends and family.
Nancy
Marketing
Nancy
Marketing
Interior designer by trade, granite and tile expert through years of experience. Enjoys spending time with her son on the bustling streets of NYC and relaxing in the woods of Northern Ontario. Appreciates hidden treasures at estate sales and time with her two fox red Labrador retrievers.
Calvin
Engineer
Calvin
Engineer
When not working or continuing his education in technology, Calvin enjoys hiking, gardening, and managing his multiple aquariums. He loves guacamole and car alarms don't seem to phase him.
Matt
Engineer
Matt
Engineer
Passionate about helping people to the best of his ability, and he finds that IT is the perfect avenue. When not working, he prefers to be downtown cheering on the Guards, Browns, or Cavs, or spending time with friends and family.
Caroline
Process Improvement
Caroline
Process Improvement
Ohio State alumna who loves problem solving and efficiency. When not working, Caroline loves spending time with friends and family, trying new recipes, running, and playing golf.
Sam
Engineer
Sam
Engineer
"Slayman" to those who know him, Sam is a reserved guy who loves hanging out with friends, working out, and relaxing with a good show. In searching for his passion, he landed on IT- tech is cool and so is helping people!
Jim Miller
Sales Exec
Jim Miller
Sales Exec
25+ years in technology sales including internet connectivity, SaaS, and cloud services. Miami U. (not Florida) undergrad and CSU MBA. Often mistaken for Chevy Chase, he listens to more than his fair share of the Dead, and still holds out hope for the Browns.
Gerard
Engineer
Gerard
Engineer
A computer hobbyist who loves hearing about future tech. When not working, you can find him tinkering with his home lab or learning how to fix things around the house. A true handyman at heart who dives deep into any project.
Larry
Engineer
Larry
Engineer
After a decade as a mechanical engineer, he brought his leadership and problem-solving skills to IT. He's also a world ranked powerlifter. Ask him how much he can squat.
Nick
Application Developer
Nick
Application Developer
Graduate of The Ohio State University in Computer Science & Engineering. Ball python owner and aspiring herpetoculturist who enjoys Tolkien, video games, and keeping up with AI. Loves finding ways to make tech lighten the load of work.
Dominic
System Engineer
Dominic
System Engineer
His biggest hobby is video games, including collecting 'old' video game covers. A big Cleveland sports fan, he's become accustomed to watching the Browns lose on Sunday afternoons. He loves animals (Dawgs or dogs) and really enjoys hiking local trails.
How It Started
I’m Jim Millican, and I founded Ashton Solutions in 1994.
I didn’t start Ashton because I had some grand plan to build an IT company. In fact, if you’d asked me back then what I was “building,” I wouldn’t have had a very clean answer. I just knew that technology—done right—could help businesses work better, grow faster, and avoid a lot of unnecessary pain. I also knew that most IT providers were missing the point.
Early in my career, I worked for a small IT services firm in a sales and marketing role.
What I quickly realized was that the real value wasn’t in selling technology—it was in solving problems. I enjoyed the work of understanding how a business actually functioned, where things broke down, and how technology could quietly remove friction instead of creating it. Before long, I struck out on my own. People start businesses because they don’t know any better. I was no different.
When Ashton began, it was just me—one person billing time and fixing problems as they came up. But even then, I had a strong point of view:
If technology doesn’t make your life easier, it isn’t doing its job.
Over time, Ashton grew into something much bigger than one guy fixing computers. We became a team of engineers, strategists, and problem solvers who work alongside our clients—not as “the IT guys,” but as partners invested in their success.
What We Really Do
At Ashton, we don’t think of ourselves as geeks or techies. We’re problem solvers who happen to be very good with technology. That distinction matters.
Yes, we design secure networks.
Yes, we manage cloud platforms, protect endpoints, and architect IT environments that scale.
But that’s not the heart of what we do.
The heart of Ashton is understanding how a business actually runs—its people, processes, risks, and goals—and then building technology strategies that support those realities instead of fighting them. We integrate into our clients’ operations, help them look ahead, avoid trouble, and make smarter decisions that pay off over the long term.
Ultimately, we measure our success the same way our clients do: Are they growing? Are they safer? Are they sleeping better at night?
It's About People, Not Computers
If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past three decades, it’s this:
Technology is never the hardest part. People are—and that’s a good thing.
One of Ashton’s core values is humility. That means it’s never about me. It’s about we. It applies to how we work as a team and how we serve our clients. We don’t chase shiny tools or temporary fixes. We focus on documentation, root‑cause resolution, and doing things the right way—even when that takes longer up front.
I get a lot of satisfaction from developing elegant solutions to complex problems, especially when those problems span both technology and business. When we help a client prevent a crisis instead of reacting to one, or when we make a system so reliable that it fades into the background of their day‑to‑day operations, that’s when I know we’re doing our job.
Why Ashton Exists
Ashton has lasted because we’ve stayed focused on one simple idea: Technology should serve the business—not the other way around.
We exist to help organizations build sustainable, secure, and efficient operations using technology as a strategic advantage. Not band‑aids. Not workarounds. Not short‑term thinking. Real solutions that hold up over time.
After more than 30 years, what still motivates me is the same thing that led me to start Ashton in the first place—helping people solve meaningful problems and watching our clients succeed alongside us.
That’s why we do what we do. And that’s why Ashton Solutions exists.
Jim Millican
Founder & President
Ashton Solutions
