# Pete Catoe

> Pete Catoe is the founder and CEO of ECRS, a privately held retail technology company established in Boone, North Carolina, in 1989. His work centers on unified retail transactions and tools that help independent and regional retailers compete. His public writing connects product design, customer obligations, mentorship, and the ambition to build an enduring independent business.

- **Role:** Founder & CEO at ECRS
- **Organizations:** ECRS (ECR Software Corporation)
- **Education:** Appalachian State University
- **Known for:** Founded ECRS in 1989 and built a self-funded retail technology business., Led ECRS as it earned Inc. 5000 recognition in 2015 and 2016., ECRS achieved Certified Evergreen status in November 2019.

## Career timeline

- **1987** — Co-founded the Appalachian State Entrepreneur Club, according to his LinkedIn education listing.
- **1989** — Founded ECRS; Curt Kennington became his business partner and provided a $7,000 personal loan to settle debt from an earlier failed venture.
- **2015** — ECRS and Appalachian State announced a $90,000 computer science scholarship commitment over four years.
- **2016** — ECRS appeared on the Inc. 5000 for a second consecutive year; Catoe published essays about mentorship, independence, and EDI.
- **2019** — ECRS achieved Certified Evergreen status.
- **2022** — Caroline Catoe succeeded him as president; he remained CEO with a focus on innovation.
- **2023** — Presented AutoScale Max and CATAPULT Cognition at Ignite.
- **2024** — Described how his long-serving KitchenAid mixer inspired AutoScale Max.
- **2025** — Established the Curt Kennington Memorial Scholarship, announced November 3, with annual awards beginning in 2026.
- **2026** — Continued as founder and CEO; spoke about the retailer community at Ignite in Nashville.

## Achievements

- Founded ECRS in 1989 and built a self-funded retail technology business.
- Led ECRS as it earned Inc. 5000 recognition in 2015 and 2016.
- ECRS achieved Certified Evergreen status in November 2019.
- Established a $5,000 annual scholarship honoring mentor Curt Kennington, funded from 2026 through at least 2030.

## Latest updates

- **2026-08** — At Ignite 2026 in Nashville, Catoe emphasized the conference’s original purpose of forming a retailer community. The event ran August 2-5 and drew participants from 41 U.S. states and several Caribbean and Canadian markets.
- **2026-04** — Commented on employee experience as ECRS announced its Best Place to Work in Watauga County recognition.
- **2026-03** — Discussed ECRS’s investment in generic, open API endpoints as the company issued updated integration guidance.
- **2025-11** — RSPA announced the ECRS-funded Curt Kennington Memorial Scholarship: $5,000 annually beginning in 2026 through at least 2030.

## Links

- Website: https://www.petecatoe.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/petecatoe

---

Profile page: https://yespress.io/pete-catoe
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-25