Houston Republic

Eric Elfman, CEO and co-founder of Onit, Inc., said his company's fourth-quarter revenue shows continuing growth for the Houston-based business.

A Greater Houston Partnership article said the software company expanded its payroll by 22%, or a total of 400 employees company-wide, and plans to bring on 100 more in the coming up year. The company was also able to acquire two companies and rolled out three new A.I.-based products. 

Elfman said the success of his company is prioritizing customers and innovation.

"Across the company, we prioritize customers and innovation. When you have nearly 400 employees worldwide focused on the same goals, you create powerful results," Elfman said. "In times of challenges, I firmly believe that strong businesses get stronger and weak businesses get weaker. The pandemic wasn't – and isn't – easy for us. We face the same uncertainties as other businesses, especially during 2020. It forced us to reset on many fronts – budgets, forecasting, strategic priorities and more. We made tough decisions, such as holding off on raises, but never considered a workforce reduction or holding off on recruiting and hiring."

As part of the continuing growth of the company, it was able to add approximately 100 new customers and 330 expansions for existing customers. 

"We disrupt the legal technology market. Innovation means our 45+ Fortune 500 customers succeed, especially when legal departments and their companies are focused on remote working, increasing internal efficiencies and saving money. We have an intense customer focus," Elfman said. "But at the end of the day, our customers trust that our technology will support their vision and goals. And they're often happy to share their experiences with their community. That, coupled with our focus on innovation, helps us grow our customer base."

Elfman said that despite being an entrepreneur in the 1990's and having trouble when they started to get investors, Houston is a great place to have the company. 

"In terms of Houston, though, it's a great city and one that I am proud to call home," Elfman said. "The city is growing as a technology leader, drawing in new and diverse talent. The cost of living is lower and the city has a lot to offer culturally. Plus, there are inspiring startup and scale-up business communities and organizations like the Greater Houston Partnership and Rice University to support them." 

Elfman said Houston will be a great place to continue to grow as a business because it is a great incubator for innovation and technology.