KOP Insiders: John Abrams, President of Aspect Consulting, Inc. in King of Prussia

KOP Insiders delves into the stories of the people who make King of Prussia one of Pennsylvania’s most dynamic live-work-play-stay destinations.

In depth interviews provide insight into the companies that make up our diverse business community and put a face to the individuals behind the business. In this edition, we are joined by John Abrams, President of Aspect Consulting, Inc. in King of Prussia.

Can you tell me a little bit about Aspect Consulting and the company’s beginnings?

We were founded in 1994, so we’ve been doing this for a long time. We moved our offices to King of Prussia in 2004, celebrating our 20th anniversary here this year. I’ve been an IT consultant since I received my Information Technology degree in 1986. I co-founded ASPECT with Jo Ellen Zaspel, and we specialize in custom software development. We work with data-driven businesses and our main areas of focus include supporting higher education institutions, handling everything from student finance to HR systems and all their applications; database administration; and building custom software, so if you can’t buy it, we can build it. We do a lot in data warehousing, data analytics, business intelligence, dashboarding and technical staffing, with a strong presence in pharmaceutical and manufacturing companies.

When Aspect made that move back in 2004, what was it about King of Prussia that made it the right choice for your company?

Its location. When I moved here in 2004 it was back before any remote work. We were consultants that had to travel to client sites every single day. The excellent highway system around King of Prussia allowed us to easily reach our clients, in any direction. Whether down Route 202 to Wilmington or the expressway to New Jersey, we could get there easily, which made a huge difference. The name recognition of King of Prussia and Valley Forge was also a big plus. It’s a very recognizable name, which really helped when we were first starting out. People knew exactly where we were, because everyone in the Delaware Valley knows about this area.

And how does being in King of Prussia still benefit your business now?

Location is still key. It’s great for our hybrid employees—because it is easier for them to come into the office with so many things to do around here. It’s also convenient for hosting clients. We often organize dual-purpose events where we invite local clients and consultants for lunch or happy hour, buy a few drinks and have some fun. King of Prussia offers plenty of great options for that, just to bring everyone together.

You mentioned that you work with a lot of pharmaceutical, manufacturing and higher ed clients. Can you talk about how being situated in King of Prussia helps support your work with these industries?

It’s back to location. Being on Route 202, some of our long-term clients, like Endo Pharmaceuticals, are just down the road in Malvern. If you go up Route 422, there’s Pfizer. Some of our biggest clients are within five minutes of us. There’s a lot of pharma in the King of Prussia and Philadelphia areas, which really makes it much more convenient for us when we do on-site visits. Fifteen years ago, we were sitting in a desk or a cube every day. Nowadays, it’s more about interaction or social visits, but the concentration of great industries that need IT consulting on the Route 202 corridor really helps. We find a lot of our business locally, so overall, it’s a great location with a lot of people who need IT services.

I often discuss with business leaders how King of Prussia plays into talent acquisition and retention. Though I know you are mostly working hybrid or remote, does that still come into play for you?

It certainly does. At one point, I was occupying four office suites and people came into work every day. The location was great for commuting—no problem at all for people coming from Wilmington or even Bucks County. It was long, but doable. King of Prussia is a great location for that. With the Route 422 corridor, as people started moving out in that direction, they could easily commute down, too. It’s less of a factor now, but it’s still good for the social aspect. As an IT consulting firm that has moved almost completely remote, having people come into the office occasionally for a reason is still important to us. We try to get together quarterly, and we usually get a dozen or more people at each event. It’s just nice to reconnect in person, beyond all the Zoom calls. I like the personal aspect that King of Prussia affords.

There are over 5,000 businesses right here in King of Prussia. Is that an asset to you? Do you find it helpful that you can find partners right in your backyard?

Absolutely. I’ve been doing this for 30 years, so I’m very networked in this area. I’ve been working with DaSTOR, also a King of Prussia company, for years.  King of Prussia is a great place for networking.  We try to use our local partners whenever we can to strengthen our business connections. For example, I have a client in the Boston area, and I referred them for hosting services through DaSTOR here in KOP. It was a local networking event that we first got connected. There are real opportunities for long-term business connections like that around here.

Talk to me about how the general economic climate of the King of Prussia region plays into your business and what you do.

For us, being an IT service vendor, having a strong business community means more opportunities. There are so many businesses within striking distance, and many of them are potential clients. It helps having such a strong environment where networking events are always valuable. For example, we hosted a Topgolf event this month, with about 90 people from the local area attending. It’s a great networking opportunity. So, having a strong business community creates more business and client opportunities. There is no doubt about it.

That is why we picked King of Prussia. It’s a vibrant area with a lot of action. If you draw a radius from King of Prussia in any direction, there are tons of businesses. And there are a lot of big companies in the major corporate parks in the area. And don’t discount all the shopping and restaurants! Since we work remotely with clients all over the country, often there’s really no reason to come back into the office regularly. But having the mall and restaurants nearby is huge. I think that draws a lot of people back when they come to the office. They can meet up with friends after work, do some shopping and make the most of the area.

When you are entertaining clients or bringing your team back together, what are some fan favorite spots in King of Prussia?

King of Prussia Town Center has been our go-to spot for the past couple of years. It’s a fun vibe with a lot of energy. We have tried all the restaurants there. It’s a great venue, especially with the courtyard where people can hang out before going to a restaurant. We frequent places like City Works and Paladar. There are great places in and around the mall as well such as Season’s 52 and J Alexander for Happy Hour.

Topgolf is a great spot too for clients and golf lovers. That is why we have done events there, and why I push people toward other businesses in the area — I like to reinvest in my area, because I like to see healthy companies around me. It strengthens the community.

That is awesome. Is there anything else you would like to share about Aspect and your ties to KOP? The floor is yours!

What is also a real perk about our office in KOP is having the park so close by. We have had a lot of fitness enthusiasts throughout the years who have enjoyed riding their bike through the park after work, so that is nice to have in the community. I also like to talk about how we are right next to Valley Forge National Historical Park. I’ll be talking to people from the other side of the country and can tell them I can walk to the park where George Washington wintered. It is a nice conversation piece. I will walk there occasionally and take my bike over after work, so it is nice to have such easy access.

About Aspect Consulting, Inc.

ASPECT specializes in data-driven solutions tailored to optimize business performance and reduce operational costs. With expertise in database administration, software services, and data solutions, ASPECT ensures improved data accuracy and accessibility for informed decision-making. Whether delivering custom software solutions or technical staffing, ASPECT offers comprehensive support to industries like pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and higher education, ensuring agility and scalability in every project.

Aspect Consulting, Inc.
20109 Valley Forge Cir
King of Prussia, PA 19406
www.aspect-consulting.com