Adam Drewes is the General Manager of ERPat Kopis, a Greenville-based custom software development firm that’s been helping businesses transform and grow for over 20 years.
Drewes oversees the ERP division, who’s group is changing the way companies buy ERP accounting systems by making them more accessible and straightforward. But before he was innovating on accounting systems, he was hitting the roller hockey rink.
A Myrtle Beach native, Drewes grew up playing roller hockey. He stayed with the sport while a student at Clemson. Sometimes, he would drive 45-minutes downtown Highwat 123 just to get in some games in Greenville. It’s there that the then computer science-major met Andy Kurtz, founder and CEO of Kopis. During a break in a game, they struck up a conversation, which led to a job offer as a custom application developer while Drewes was still in school.
A lot has changed for Drewes and Kopis in the past 15 years, and he recently answered some questions for us on what makes him tick.
What are your favorite things to do on your days off?
Spending time with friends and family. Cycling and sand volleyball in particular. Really, anything outside. Since the pandemic, I have found indoor bike racing on an online platform called Zwift incredibly addicting!
What is one movie you’ve watched more than five times?
Primer. Dollar for dollar the best time travel movie ever made. It probably took me five watches to figure out all the timeline details.
What are three books you would bring with you to a deserted island?
Infomocracy. Part sci-fi, part political science experiment. Does Audible count? I love some of The Great Courses lectures, specifically the Story of Human Language and Food: A Cultural Culinary History.
If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what album would it be?
I’m boring in this department. Streaming has destroyed my knowledge of what is actually playing currently. It’s just on.
In your opinion, what’s the most rewarding part of working in your job?
I’m blown away by how many unique and interesting businesses there are even in a small radius around Greenville. I get to learn about intricacies of what makes them who they are and collaborate on how technology can take them to the next level.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
I’ve wanted to be involved with technology and software since watching my father work on the old green screen terminals when I was a kid.
If you could be part of any sitcom family or friend-group, which would you choose?
Parks and Rec. Loads of great comedians, and I think you just become a little bit more manly being in the presence of Nick Offerman.
Tell us a funny story about you that most people don’t know?
My stories always end in tangents.
Star Wars or Star Trek?
Star Trek as a kid. However, I’d say more Star Wars now. Despite the inconsistencies, they’ve created a more complete universe.
What are some of your favorite things to do in Greenville?
Being outside and trying out Greenville’s restaurant scene, which coincidently is outdoors these days as well.