On the Edge of Building the Next Generation of Leaders

Keith Ericks on’s interest in technology and computers pre-dates the Internet as we know it today. It was this passion, combined with his love for the Twin Ports that led him to establish a business that has seen strong and consistent growth—even through the recession.

After graduation from the University of Minnesota Duluth and University of Iowa, Keith and his family relocated to California so he could pursue a career in the technology industry. In spite of experiencing great success on the west coast, he knew his heart belonged in Duluth. In 1990 he made the move back. Since then, he’s built a successful business that is constantly on the edge of technology, looking to the future.

Saturn Systems focuses on writing custom software applications for organizations coast-to-coast. To remain competitive, Erickson and his three partners (pictured below) have embraced a relatively new business model called rural outsourcing. Rural outsourcing focuses on soliciting work in high cost areas but performing the work in Duluth at reduced rates. The end result is a great deal of high quality, technical work being imported into Duluth.

Today, Erickson and his partners are committed to giving back to the community through a scholarship at the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. They see this gift as more than just a scholarship, though. “Beyond giving back to a community that has provided so much to us, we really want to encourage the growth of young, talented students who want to study technology and hopefully stay in the region,” Erickson says.

The Saturn Systems scholarship is designed specifically for students who wish to pursue a degree in Computer Science from the University of Minnesota Duluth. Similarly, the Community Foundation sees a
natural fit collaborating with business leaders, such as Saturn Systems, given our initiative to attract and retain young adults to the region.

This creates a win-win for companies like Saturn Systems, and this region which will benefit from positioning themselves as leaders on the edge of this high-tech industry.