His career began in 1968 as a Systems Engineer for IBM in Des Moines, Iowa. In 1972 he relocated to Spencer, Iowa and performed consulting, design and contract programming for WR Grace and the Eaton Corporation. In 1976 he formed Agland Computer Systems, LLC in Everly, Iowa. This company specialized in developing systems for Farmers Grain Cooperatives, with systems for Payroll, Accounting and Grain Management. In 1979 he sold his share in this company and formed another company named Computech Systems, Ltd. This company designed and sold the first IBM System/34 based County Government Systems in the State of  Iowa . In 1984, this company was sold to the company employees who then formed Solutions, Inc. and has since grown to serve over 50 counties in Iowa. 

That same year Komtek Systems Corporation was formed in Tucson, Arizona. In 1987 Komtek adapted the Iowa based software to meet the needs for the state of Kansas and began work on their first counties in Kansas.

Over the past 20+ years Mr. Gustafson has served as one of the principal architects for 3 generations of the Komtek Payroll, Fund Accounting and Tax Administration systems for Kansas.