Nortek LLC, based in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula,  has been building and supporting software solutions since 2001. The focus has always been practical: build effective solutions to meet real needs.

The Person Behind the Code

I’m Stan Bontrager, and I’ve been working with computers since the late 1970s – from early BASIC programming through the Apple II era and into professional development upon founding Nortek LLC.  I’ve watched the internet’s birth and transformation from a curiosity into vital infrastructure.

That perspective shapes how I approach development. I’ve seen enough technology fads come and go to recognize that good software isn’t about chasing trends – it’s about solving real problems with clean, maintainable code.

My background spans decades of technical work: hardware support, systems administration, network management, database design, and software development across multiple platforms and languages. What matters isn’t the specific technologies – those change constantly – but the approach to problem-solving that remains consistent. The engine powering the vehicle has always been an insatiable desire to understand how things work. At my core, I’m not a programmer, I’m a systems analyst.

That approach – the compulsion to fully understand the systems I’m working with – creates a natural quality filter. If I find something to be more difficult than I think it needs to be, I analyze it to find out how it works so I can understand how to improve it. I fix what’s broken, refine what’s clunky, and ensure it actually solves the problem it was designed to address. The software is finished when I can stop thinking about it because it just works as well and efficiently as possible. The common thread isn’t the technology stack – it’s the commitment to building software that solves real problems without unnecessary complexity.