The Man Who Built the Cabinets: Rich Petri's 16 Years at the Heart of SmartSafety Software

Sep 1

5 min read

In 1993, Rich Petri installed cabinets in a Boise office building. Seventeen years later, he showed up for his first day of work in that exact same space. As Trancite celebrates its 30th anniversary, this is the story of how one IT specialist found his place and never left.

In 1993, Rich Petri installed cabinets in a building in Boise, Idaho. Seventeen years later, he pulled into that same parking lot, looked at the address, and realized he was about to start his first day at SmartSafety Software in the exact same space.

"I immediately felt like I was where I needed to be," he said.

That moment set the tone for what would become a 16-year career built on purpose-driven service, genuine customer relationships, and a belief that the work itself matters.

As SmartSafety marks its 30th anniversary in 2026, Rich Petri is one of the people who helped shape what the company has become. His story is worth telling in full.

Key Takeaways

Rich Petri has been with SmartSafety Software for 16 years, joining in 2010 when the company was called AT Solutions
He modernized the company's support operations from the ground up moving from Excel spreadsheets to dedicated help desk systems and remote support tools
His customer base includes law enforcement, the FBI, the military, and investigation services companies—work he describes as uniquely meaningful compared to any previous role
Outside of work, Rich serves on the Ada County USBC Board of Directors and organizes veteran-focused fundraising events, including a tournament that raised $14,000 for the Veterans Home
He views SmartSafety's 30-year milestone as a direct reflection of the people who built it—and the customers who chose to stay

From Phoenix to Boise—With a Full-Circle Twist

In 2010, Rich was living in Phoenix, working for a food distribution company, and quietly looking for a reason to come home to Idaho. A former manager pointed him toward a technical recruiter—"Adecco Technical Staffing Services "—who had a specific opening in mind.

That recruiter connected Rich with Tim Harris, who was then overseeing operations at AT Solutions at that time. After a two-hour phone interview, Rich received the offer while driving to work. He moved quickly: out of his rental, back to Idaho, and into a role that would define the next decade and a half of his professional life.

Then came the first day. Rich pulled into the parking lot, glanced at the address, and felt something click. He walked upstairs, saw the reception desk, looked at the cabinetry—and recognized it. He had built those cabinets himself, more than 15 years earlier.

"It was a very familiar place," he said. "I immediately felt like I was where I needed to be."

That's not a coincidence. That's alignment. Now Rich is the Senior Technical Support Specialist for Client Support.

From Excel Spreadsheets to Real-Time Remote Support

When Rich joined the team, the support department was managing customer calls and issues through Excel spreadsheets.

"If you can imagine using Excel spreadsheets to track customer issues and phone calls," Rich said, "it was quite entertaining."

He recognized immediately that there was room to build something better—and that he had both the opportunity and the expertise to do it. Over the years, Rich introduced SmartSafety's first formal customer support platform, a system called Kayako. He brought remote support capabilities to the team. That shift fundamentally changed how quickly and effectively the company could resolve customer issues.

"Instead of me explaining it, let me just remote in and take care of you," Rich said. "Because we know you have a more important job to do."

From there, his contributions extended to the rollout of Zoho Desk and the company's license audit portal. Every initiative carried the same goal: give the support team better tools so customers get faster, more reliable answers when they actually need them.

When the Badge Calls, Rich Answers

Most IT support roles revolve around laptops, software errors, and network configurations. Rich Petri's calls are different.

His customer base at SmartSafety—which develops scene diagramming tools including Easy Street Draw and Auto Scene—includes law enforcement agencies, the FBI, the U.S. military, and private investigation services companies. These are professionals who sometimes need technical help in real time, at an active scene.

"I just got that end user—that officer that's already frustrated because he just rolled up on a scene and he's in the middle of an accident," Rich said. "And he needs help with something. That's rewarding in itself to me more than anything else."

Rich's respect for law enforcement and the military predates his career at SmartSafety. Knowing his daily work directly supports those professionals gives the role a weight that no previous IT position could match.

The relationships he has built reflect that commitment. Some customers have waited on Rich to return from vacation, and others have called just to check in. Others have contacted his manager directly to thank him for all he has done to help.

The Culture That Outlasted a Pandemic

Rich started at SmartSafety when the office was small enough to walk straight into a developer's workspace with a question and get an immediate answer. No ticket queue. No approval chain. Just people solving problems together.

Sixteen years later, the company has grown and moved to remote work—but that internal dynamic, according to Rich, has held.

"I can say to a customer, let me get a hold of my development team," he said. "And actually pick up the phone and have them say, 'Let's jump on a call right now and get this taken care of'—instead of waiting a week on a ticket."

That kind of cross-functional responsiveness is rare. At previous companies—including Rich’s previous workplace—Rich watched customer issues get lost in layered ticketing systems. At SmartSafety, support, sales, and development have always operated within reach of each other.

"There has never been one bit of drama," he said plainly. "That's what makes it so great."

The culture did shift in 2020, when the move to remote work changed the daily rhythm of the office. But the core of it—the willingness to show up for each other—has stayed intact.

Strikes, Spares, and Service to Veterans

Outside of the office, Rich Petri operates with the same focus he brings to work.

He serves on the Board of Directors for Ada County USBC—the United States Bowling Congress. Through that role, he helps organize the Bowlers to Veterans Link (BVL) tournament, an annual event where every dollar raised goes directly to the Idaho Veterans Home. Raffles, competitions, and lane-side donations fund medicines, classes, and support programs for veterans.

At a national bowling convention held recently in Reno, Rich's chapter presented a check for $14,000 to veterans' services.

He's also involved in Bowl for the Cure, a bowling fundraiser that directs proceeds to Susan G. Komen for cancer research.

"It's been very rewarding," he said. "Something I'm really passionate about."

The through-line is consistent: whether Rich is walking a law enforcement officer through a software issue mid-scene or organizing a tournament to fund veterans' care, the motivation is identical. He wants to be useful to people doing hard, important work.

What 30 Years Actually Looks Like

Trancite started with very few people and one big idea—one that would change how law enforcement and military professionals document and investigate the scenes they respond to. Thirty years later, the company still has customers who signed on in the earliest days and have never left.

"Over 30 years, we have customers that we've had for 30 years that still use our products to this day," Rich said.

That kind of loyalty is not the product of software features alone. It's the product of people—people who answer the phone, who remote in at 7 a.m., who remember customers' names, and who take the frustration in someone's voice personally.

Rich recently attended a demo of Version 27, the company's latest product update, which incorporates new AI features. He came away energized.

"It just blew my mind," he said, "of all the great things that we're able to do."

He was initially hesitant about where AI fit into the company's future. That hesitation is gone. At the end of the day, he said, it doesn't matter how a tool is built—it only matters whether it makes life easier for the customer.

That is the philosophy that has defined Rich Petri's 16 years at Smart Safety Software. And it is the same philosophy that has kept Trancite – now SmartSafety Software running for 30 years.