About Paragon CSI

Your Long-Term IT Partner — Since 1996

We built Paragon to bring together the most talented consultants in the IBM i world. Nearly three decades later, that founding commitment still drives everything we do.

Our story

From a Single Idea to a Full-Service IT Firm

Paragon Consulting Services, Inc. was founded in 1996 by Ronald Smith and William Macnamara with a straightforward mission: bring together the most talented IBM i consultants and give clients access to genuinely expert, personalized support.

What began as contract programming for manufacturers in Central Pennsylvania grew steadily. We expanded into EDI services as B2B electronic commerce became critical infrastructure, then into cloud hosting, managed services, and custom software development.

Today Paragon operates from three offices — York, PA; Cranberry Township, PA; and Edgewood, MD — serving manufacturers, distributors, and retailers across the country. The technology has changed. The commitment to deep expertise and straight-talking service has not.

1996
Founded in York, PARonald Smith and William Macnamara launch Paragon to serve IBM i clients with elite consulting talent.
2000s
EDI division launchedB2B / EDI services become a core competency; Paragon builds a dedicated trading partner management team.
2010s
Cloud & managed servicesIBM i hosting and high-availability managed services added, giving clients a fully outsourced option.
2015+
Foundational eBusiness ServicesThe EDI division rebrands under the Foundational name — a dedicated B2B platform at getfoundational.com.
Today
Three offices, one teamYork headquarters, the Pittsburgh EDI office, and the Edgewood metals software office — 30+ years of uninterrupted IBM i focus.

Our values

What We Believe Shapes Every Engagement

We’ve strived to be a “model of excellence” in IBM i consulting for nearly three decades. These are the principles that get us there.

Deep expertise over broad generalismWe stay focused on IBM i and B2B integration — genuine depth in a narrow field is worth more than surface-level knowledge across dozens of platforms.
Talent that sets the barOur consultants come from rich IBM i backgrounds — fluent in legacy RPG and modern free-format, Java, PHP, and cloud architecture.
Long-term relationshipsMost clients have been with us for years — some for decades. That longevity is how we build the deep system knowledge that matters when problems arise.
Tailored, not templatedEvery IBM i environment has its own history and constraints. We take the time to understand yours before recommending anything.
Security and reliability firstIBM i is the backbone of our clients’ operations. We design every engagement for resilience and treat system availability as non-negotiable.
Straightforward communicationWe tell you what you need to hear. If there’s a better approach or a hidden risk, you’ll hear it from us first.

Locations

Three Offices Serving Clients Nationwide

Corporate Headquarters

3488 Board Road
York, PA 17406

717-764-7909
800-966-6725

EDI Services — Pittsburgh

2009 Mackenzie Way, Suite 100
Cranberry Township, PA 16066

412-653-2463
800-966-6725

Metals Software — Baltimore

2108 Emmorton Park Drive, Suite 201
Edgewood, MD 21040

800-966-6725

FAQ

Common Questions About Paragon

What does Paragon actually do?

Paragon is an IBM i consulting and services firm. We provide IBM i consulting, cloud hosting, and managed services, along with EDI and custom software development — for companies that depend on the platform to run their business.

What industries do you work with?

Mostly manufacturers, distributors, and retailers — companies with the kind of order, inventory, and trading-partner complexity that IBM i and EDI were built to handle. See our industries page for specifics.

Do you only work with companies near your offices?

No. Most of what we do — consulting, hosting, managed services, EDI, and development — is delivered remotely. Our offices are where our team is based, not a limit on who we serve.

Can Paragon work alongside our existing IT team?

Yes, and it’s one of our more common engagements. We can take ownership of a specific system or function — IBM i, EDI, a development project — while your internal team continues to own everything else.

We’re not sure which service we need. Where do we start?

Most engagements start with a conversation, not a commitment. Tell us what’s going on and we’ll tell you honestly whether it’s a consulting project, a hosting or managed services question, or something else — including if the answer is “you don’t need us for this.”

Does Paragon only support IBM i, or other platforms too?

IBM i is our core strength, but our software development team also works in Windows and Linux environments, and our EDI and integration work connects IBM i to whatever ERP or trading partner systems you’re running.

“Paragon’s EDI team helped us reduce chargeback deductions by 85%. They know this stuff cold — and they’re responsive in a way that most vendors simply aren’t.”
Lloyd Myers — Vice President, DF Stauffer Biscuit Company

Ready to Work with a Team That Knows IBM i?

Tell us about your environment and we’ll walk you through how we can help.

Get a free consultation Call 800-966-6725