Andrew “Andy” Kurtz founded Kopis in May 1999, and has continued to grow the company for two decades and counting. He inspires every employee to uphold the company core values in everything they do, which paves the way for a strong company culture. His colleagues describe him as welcoming, and his door is always open.
A Furman University graduate, Kurtz opened the first office of what was then known as Proactive Technology in a second-floor in the Plaza Bergamo downtown. The company evolved over the next two decades and became Kopis in 2015 with a focus providing high impact software and cloud solutions to businesses and state agencies in the Southeast.
But there is more to Kurtz than his business. Read below for the movies he watches the most, the bands he loves and why you may one day see him golfing again.
What are your favorite things to do on your days off?
Riding my bike, watching my daughter play soccer, spending time with my grandson, backpacking. And one thing I enjoy, but never do, is golf.
What is one movie you’ve watched more than five times?
Love Actually. Because my wife and daughters watch it every Christmas and, while I always pretend I am not watching it, I am. And I always tear up during the proposal at the end (“just in cases”).
What are three books you would bring with you to a deserted island?
Does the Lord of the Rings trilogy count as one? If not, then my three are Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers and Return of the King. If it counts as one (and really it should), I would add the first Dune book and Catch-22.
If you could only listen to one album for the rest of your life, what album would it be?
It would have to be something live/improvisational and heavy jam - studio releases get me bored quick. My first pick would be a well-known bootleg: The Grateful Dead Barton Hall 5/8/77 show. But if you want me to choose something that was an actual released album, I have to go with The Grateful Dead’s Winterland 1973: The Complete Recordings.
In your opinion, what’s the most rewarding part of working in your job?
Working with the team to overcome challenges, whether challenges we are helping a customer with or our own challenges.
If you could be part of any sitcom family or friend-group, which would you choose?
The group from Seinfeld or maybe the Bluth family from Arrested Development. I could probably manage the Banana Stand reasonably well (“there’s always money in the banana stand”).
Tell us a funny story about you that most people don’t know?
My wife learned early in our dating not to expect me to be her protector. We were walking in a park in Sarasota, Florida and there were signs warning about alligators. At one point in our walk, I heard a rustle in the bushes next to us and I backed away fast, knocking my future wife over in the process. When I was a few yards distance, I turned around to see her laughing and saying, “really – an armadillo?” and pointing at the little critter walking across the path.
What are some of your favorite things to do in Greenville?
Riding bikes; walking our amazing downtown; eating at our great restaurants; enjoying a beer at our great breweries or taprooms.