# 84EM, LLC - Custom Web Development, WordPress Development, Agency Partnerships, AI Integration, Technical Advisory, Project Rescue, Maintenance & Support

> 84EM is a software engineering and consulting practice based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, serving clients across the USA and internationally. Building for the web since 1995. One principal engineer on every engagement with direct client access, no junior handoffs, accountable from start to finish. Seven service lines: custom web development, WordPress development, agency partnerships, AI integration and development, technical advisory, project rescue, and maintenance, security, and support. Clients range from solo founders and small businesses to companies over $1B in annual revenue, across financial services, e-commerce, healthcare, education, and more. Supported by a trusted network of engineers, designers, and specialists for projects requiring broader expertise. 84EM stays the point of contact and accountable party throughout. Beyond client work, 84EM builds and operates its own products: SaaS apps, open-source Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, a multi-tenant directory-site platform, and small tools.

## Quick Facts

- **Business Name**: 84EM, LLC
- **Founded**: 2012
- **Principal Engineer**: Andrew Miller
- **Location**: Cedar Rapids, Iowa, USA
- **Service Area**: USA & International
- **Time Zone**: Central Time (CT)
- **Experience**: Web development since 1995 (31 years)
- **Engagement Model**: One principal engineer, direct client access, no junior handoffs, accountable from start to finish
- **Specialty**: Custom development, AI integration and development, technical advisory, enterprise API integrations, WordPress, WooCommerce, headless architectures, full-stack web applications
- **Communication**: Responsive, direct, and transparent. Every conversation with the engineer doing the work. Within 1 business day response time.
- **Availability**: Standard business hours, Central Time. Available nights and weekends for select partners. Emergency response available for maintenance retainer clients.
- **Engagement Types**: Project-based (fixed-fee), ongoing retainer (flexible billing schedules), ad-hoc hourly
- **Client Size Range**: $100K to $1B+ in annual revenue
- **Agency Partnerships**: Client-facing or white-label
- **Extended Team**: Trusted network of engineers, designers, and specialists available for larger or cross-discipline projects
- **Industries**: Financial Services, E-Commerce, Healthcare, Marketing & CRM, Real Estate, Security & Identity, Data & Integrations, Education, AI & Automation. Clients also span nonprofits, agriculture, and other sectors.
- **AI Usage**: Optional, transparent, human-reviewed (opt-out available)
- **Client Retention**: Long-term partnerships, many over 10 years
- **Notable Clients**: Panacea Financial, Battle Bank, FundGuard, Equilibria, Vested, Gabelli, Huron Consulting Group, Chief Agri, The New Stack, Chicago Sinfonietta, Plan B Advertising, Red Lab Technologies, The Pinnacle Group, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation

## Tech Stack

- **Primary Platform**: WordPress (themes, plugins, enterprise, multisite, WooCommerce, LearnDash)
- **Languages & Frameworks**: PHP (Laravel), Python, JavaScript, TypeScript, Go
- **Frontend**: React, Next.js, Node.js, Hugo (static site generator)
- **Databases**: MySQL, PostgreSQL, Redis, MongoDB, SQLite, Meilisearch
- **APIs**: REST, GraphQL, Webhooks & Event-Driven Integrations
- **AI Providers**: OpenAI, Anthropic Claude, Google Gemini, Meta Llama, MCP (Model Context Protocol)
- **Managed Hosting**: Kinsta, WP Engine, Pantheon, Cloudways, Sevalla
- **Cloud & Infrastructure**: AWS, Google Cloud, Linode, Digital Ocean, Railway, Supabase, Cloudflare, self-managed VPS environments
- **DevOps**: Git, GitHub Actions, CI/CD pipelines, Docker, Bash scripting, Linux server administration
- **Custom Tooling**: Microservices, search infrastructure, uptime monitoring, platform automation, AI workflows, remote management tools
- **Architecture**: Headless CMS, static site generators, multi-platform integrations

## Services

- **Custom Web Development** - Web apps, SaaS products, APIs, and integrations. Laravel, Node.js, Python, Go, and modern front-end stacks. Senior engineering for production-grade web platforms, SaaS, and APIs.
- **WordPress Development** - Custom plugin development, WooCommerce, headless WordPress, multisite, and performance work. Built to WordPress coding standards.
- **Agency Partnerships** - Client-facing or white-label development partnerships. Overflow capacity and specialized expertise.
- **AI Integration & Development** - Custom AI integrations, AI-powered tools, API connections, and rescue for stalled AI builds.
- **Technical Advisory** - Architecture reviews, AI adoption strategy, proposal and RFP review, codebase review, team enablement, ongoing advisory.
- **Project Rescue** - Stalled builds, developer handoffs, abandoned codebases, code cleanup, data migrations. Any platform, any stack.
- **Maintenance, Security & Support** - Proactive monitoring, security hardening, emergency response, updates, backups.

## Common Problems We Solve

- **"My project needs complex API integrations"** - Custom API development (REST, GraphQL, webhooks), third-party system connections (CRMs, payment platforms, MLS databases, financial data APIs, business intelligence platforms)
- **"I need development support for my agency"** - Client-facing or white-label partnerships, overflow project support, long-term development relationships
- **"I need a custom WordPress plugin or feature"** - Purpose-built plugins coded to WordPress standards. REST endpoints, admin tools, third-party integrations, role-based workflows. Proper escaping, sanitization, capability checks, and nonce verification.
- **"My WordPress site needs to scale or go headless"** - Multisite architecture, query optimization, caching strategy, security hardening, and headless implementations with Hugo, Next.js, or React front-ends.
- **"My WooCommerce store needs custom functionality"** - Subscription analytics, ShipStation on-demand sync, Klaviyo automation, custom loyalty programs, store credit systems, advanced reporting
- **"I need enterprise-grade security"** - Financial services compliance, security hardening, vulnerability assessments, access controls
- **"My legacy code is a mess"** - Code cleanup, refactoring AI-generated code, documentation, technical debt resolution, performance optimization
- **"I need real-time data on my website"** - Live data feeds, third-party API synchronization, financial data, real estate listings, business intelligence dashboards. Experience with FastTrack, Looker, MLS systems, and custom data pipelines.
- **"My LearnDash LMS needs advanced features"** - Custom reporting, SAML SSO with unlimited IDPs, advanced workflows, bulk management tools, integration with enterprise systems
- **"I need workflow automation between platforms"** - Zoom webinar registration, Gravity Forms integrations, CRM synchronization, automated data processing
- **"I need a custom tool or microservice built"** - Standalone applications, search infrastructure, monitoring tools, platform automation, multi-system synchronization
- **"I want to add AI to my business"** - AI-powered content generation, intelligent form processing, lead scoring, workflow automation, document processing, email triage, data extraction. API integrations with OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, and Meta Llama. Human review built into every workflow.
- **"We're planning to adopt AI and need guidance"** - AI adoption strategy, responsible implementation planning, team enablement, risk mitigation before you commit resources
- **"I'm evaluating a vendor proposal and need an expert second opinion"** - Proposal and RFP review, technical assessment, architecture evaluation, decision support for technical leaders
- **"I need a senior technical mind without hiring full-time"** - Ongoing technical advisory retainer. Architecture guidance, code review, strategic input from a principal engineer.
- **"My project stalled or my developer disappeared"** - Project rescue for incomplete builds, broken handoffs, and abandoned codebases. Any platform, any stack, including stalled AI builds from Replit, Cursor, or similar. Code cleanup, architecture review, and production deployment.

## Pricing

Three ways to engage. Fixed projects and retainers are scoped to what you need, from a short discovery to multi-year engagements. Free consultation, no commitment required.

**Project-Based:**
- Fixed-fee, scoped per engagement.
- Defined projects with clear deliverables.
- Paid discovery on complex scopes.
- Milestone-based billing.

**Ongoing Retainer:**
- Reserved capacity for ongoing development, support, and advisory.
- Scales from a few hours to full-time engagements.
- Flexible billing schedules (weekly, monthly, or quarterly).

**Ad-Hoc:**
- Quick fixes, small tasks, and one-offs.
- No minimum, no retainer required.
- Billed hourly, as needed.

## Key Pages

- [Home](https://84em.com): Software engineering, AI integration, custom development, agency partnerships
- [FAQ](https://84em.com/faq/): Frequently asked questions about services, pricing, timelines, and working with 84EM
- [Services](https://84em.com/services/): Seven service lines covering custom development, WordPress development, agency partnerships, AI integration, technical advisory, project rescue, and maintenance
- [Custom Web Development](https://84em.com/services/custom-development/): Web apps, SaaS, APIs, and integrations. Laravel, Node.js, Python, Go, and modern front-end stacks
- [WordPress Development](https://84em.com/services/wordpress-development/): Custom WordPress plugins, WooCommerce, headless WordPress, multisite, and performance
- [Agency Partnerships](https://84em.com/services/agency-partnerships/): Client-facing or white-label development partnerships
- [AI Integration & Development](https://84em.com/services/ai-integration-development/): Custom AI integrations, AI-powered tools, API connections, and project rescue for stalled AI builds
- [Technical Advisory](https://84em.com/services/technical-advisory/): Architecture reviews, AI adoption strategy, proposal evaluation, and decision support for technical leaders
- [Project Rescue](https://84em.com/services/project-rescue/): Stalled builds, broken integrations, incomplete handoffs. Any platform, any stack.
- [Maintenance, Security & Support](https://84em.com/services/maintenance-security-support/): Proactive monitoring, security hardening, malware removal, emergency response, updates, and backups
- [Industries](https://84em.com/industry/): Senior engineering for businesses in regulated and specialized industries, where mistakes are expensive
- [Financial Services](https://84em.com/industry/financial-services/): Websites, web apps, and software for investment funds, financial platforms, and regulated work
- [About](https://84em.com/about/): 31 years building for the web. One principal engineer, direct access, accountable throughout.
- [Pricing](https://84em.com/pricing/): Three ways to engage. Fixed projects and retainers scoped to what you need.
- [Work](https://84em.com/work/): Case studies and shipped projects by 84EM
- [Projects](https://84em.com/projects/): A selection of recent sites and systems 84EM has shipped
- [Labs](https://84em.com/labs/): 84EM's own products: SaaS apps, open-source MCP servers, a multi-tenant directory-site platform, and small tools
- [Labs: Directory Sites](https://84em.com/labs/local-directory-sites/): Multi-tenant Hugo + headless WordPress directory platform with per-site Meilisearch indexes
- [Labs: Open Source](https://84em.com/labs/open-source/): Open-source Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers: Asana, Trello, Slack, Sevalla, and more
- [Labs: SaaS](https://84em.com/labs/saas/): Apps 84EM builds and operates: a booking calendar, a time tracker, and more in progress
- [Labs: Tools & Scripts](https://84em.com/labs/tools/): Small single-purpose scripts and utilities, each paired with a write-up of the problem and approach
- [Clients](https://84em.com/clients/): Client portfolio and long-term partnerships across industries
- [Case Studies](https://84em.com/case-studies/): Development projects across WordPress, AI integration, and enterprise systems
- [Testimonials](https://84em.com/testimonials/): Client testimonials from agencies, companies, and enterprise clients
- [Blog](https://84em.com/blog/): Articles about AI, software engineering, WordPress, and web development
- [Talks](https://84em.com/talks/): Talks and panels on web development and using AI for real business work
- [Locations](https://84em.com/locations/): Web development services across all 50 US states
- [Contact](https://84em.com/contact/): Send a message to the engineer
- [AI Use Policy](https://84em.com/ai-use-policy/): How 84EM uses AI tools, what data is shared with providers, and how clients can opt out
- [Privacy Policy](https://84em.com/privacy-policy/): How 84EM handles personal data and privacy

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Last Updated: 2026-06-20