The word “dragon” has always been an inspiration to Peoria resident and local business owner Jacob Lanthier. It symbolizes great power, strength and good luck.

At first glance, it might seem odd to name an information technology company Whispering Dragons, but it made perfect sense to Mr. Lanthier.

The whispering part originated in Mr. Lanthier’s soft-spoken voice.

He said the “s” in “Dragons” establishes the real purpose of the company — the plurality of the business.

“I want a company that will grow further like a family that branches from the community standpoint or from within Whispering Dragons,” he said.

The company specializes in high-performance computing, software packaging managed services and rapid website development for small- and medium-sized businesses with mission-critical computer needs to maintain systems 24 hours a day seven days a week.

Since it opened in 2015, Whispering Dragons has worked with companies’ IT service needs ranging from hardware and software to system monitoring and upgrades, as well as offered packages that cater to those needs. The company also specializes in hardware repair.

Mr. Lanthier said the first and key part of any supplier relationship is trust, especially in the tech world.

“Our core responsibility is understanding your business requirements today and tomorrow and to provide you with the solution and service that meets these needs within the budget and timeframe required,” he said.

Mr. Lanthier received an MBA from the Florida Institute of Technology, focusing on project management. He now has 10 years of experience in the IT industry.

He is planning to expand Whispering Dragons into the entertainment sector and other aspects of technology fields over the next five years.

In his free time he enjoys hiking with his Great Dane. He is also an avid video gamer, and part of the ever-growing video game community.